No. 328.
Mr. Heap to Mr. Hunter.
Tunis, July 6, 1875. (Received July 26.)
Sir: The Italian scientific commission mentioned in my dispatch No. 210, dated 14th June last, sent to examine the land separating the Schotts of the Great Desert and the sea at the Gulf of Gabes, in the south of this regency, has returned, and I am informed the engineers have found the obstacles to the formation of an inland sea at this point practically insurmountable. They have adopted the theory I gave in my dispatch on this subject, No. 187, dated November 14, 1874, that the Lake Isitou of the ancients, instead of being inland of Gabes, is simply the sea inclosed between the island of Gerba and the mainland.
The report of this commission will be made to the International Geographical Congress that will meet in Paris in August next.
I have, &c.,