The Digital Ark: Early Modern Collections of Curiosities in England and Scotland, 1580-1700
Prince of Eckenberg [Eggenberg] (vague) ( - )
Brown's reference is ambiguous. There was a line of princes of Eggenberg (Johann Anton I von Eggenberg [1610-1649], succeeded by his son Ferdinand Joseph [1636-1698]. But their demesne seems not to have any relationship to the lake Brown describes. References in Documents:Concerning an Un-common Lake, called the
in
Having cross'd the River Dravus
bel
through the Pausilype near NaplesLake of Zirchnitz
much spoken of, and written on by so few; and therefore I
went unto CrainburgSavusLabach
the chief City of
ney in
to
is seated the said Lake, receiving that name from Zirchnitz
town of about 300. houses.
This Lake is near two German Miles long, and one broad.
On the South-side thereof lyes a great Forrest, wherein are
many Deer, and wild Boares, Wolves and Bears. On the
North side the Country is flat; but the whole Valley is encom
passed with Hills, at some distance from it.
This Lake is well fill'd with Water for the greatest part of the
Year; but in the Month of June it sinketh under ground, not on
ly by percolation or falling through the pores of the Earth, but
retireth under ground, through many great holes at the bottom
of it: And in the Month of September it returns by the same, and
so in a very short time fills up the Valley again.
As the time of the waters Descent is short, especially when
the Lake grows lower, and hath for a while shewed some abate
ment, so the Ascent and return is speedy; for at these holes it
mounteth with such violence, that it springs out of the ground
to the height of a pike, and soon covers the tract of Earth
again.
And this piece of ground in the time of the retirement and ab
sence of the Water is not unfruitful, but by a speedy and plen
tiful production of Grass yieldeth not only a present sustenance
for the beasts of the field, but a good provision of hay for the
cattle in the winter.
Nor have the Inhabitants thereabout only the benefit of the
ground by these Commodities, but also the recreation and pro
fit by Hunting. For at the time of the waters absence, Hares,
Deer, Boares and other Animals come into it out of the neigh
bouring Forrest and Country, and are taken several wayes by
them.
The Lake is not only thus fill'd with water, but every year
well stored with Eckenberg
and of much Country thereabout: But upon restoring of the wa
ters all have liberty to Fish; and the fishermen, standing up
to the wast at the holes before-mentioned, intercept the passage
of the Fish, and take a very great number of them, which o
therwise
would be secure for some Months under the Earth, and
not fall to return in September.
The
ny other I know; for, they pass some Months under the Earth,
and a good part of the Winter under Ice. I could not learn,
that there were any Otters in this Lake, (which otherwise must
probably have taken the same Course with the fish;) nor that
there were any remarkable extraneous substances, any Vegeta
bles, or unknown Fishes brought up by the water, but those
which come up are of the same kind with those which des
cended.
But beside these holes at the bottom of the Lake (of which
there are many) there are also divers Caverns and deep places in
the Country of Carniola
like manner as we have in the Elden-hole
in
Halfe an ZirchnitzSeadorf
than this, another village called Niderdorf
ground sinks in several places upon the sudden retiring of the
Lake; and the aforesaid Eckenburg
as to descend into one hole, through which he passed under an
Hill, and came out on the other side; as I was informed by Mon
sieur
The people who are acquainted with the Lake, wet and dry,
know where they are, and have a particular knowledge of the
eminencies, vallies and inequalities of it: for, the bottom of the
Lake is not even, or near about the same depth, but sometimes
two foot, and then suddenly twenty yards deep. And because
the Fish haunt the deep places more than the shallows; they have
given names to the 7. chiefest cavities or valleys in the Lake.
I took boat at Niderdorf
passing over the five first valleys. I went also to a noted Stone,
commonly called the Fishers-stone, which hath somewhat of the
use of the Nilescope-pillar at Grand Cairo
rance of that, they conjecture how soon the Lake will retire. I
also passed by a noted Hill, which, when the Lake is high, be
comes a pleasant island; and so I returned, &c.
Venice
- 1. Q.
WHether Whether
on the South-side, be very high, and whether the Snow
keep long upon them?high
hills at some little distance, but when I was upon the Lake, I saw
no Snow upon them; but upon Mountains in the Country, as I tra
vell'd to and from this Lake, I observ'd Snow inJune. upon Hills
on the side of great Lakes the Snow lyes not so long as upon hills
more distant. - 2. Q.
Whether the Holes and Openings, by which these WatersA. Generally they are
run out, are in stones, or in the loose Earth?
stony, not in soft or loose Earth; yet in one or two places the Earth
hath been known to sink and fall in, particularly near a Village
call'dSea-dorf . - 3. Q.
Whether these Holes be the same every year, and whetherA. The great Holes are the same every year;
no New ones are made?
but possibly part of the water may sometimes find or make new
passages through the crevices and cribrous parts of the Field. - 4. Q.
Whether they have not searched into these Holes, and do notA. They
see the water at the bottom of these holes, or in wells, at the time when
this Lake is discharged of the greatest part of its water?
have searched into these holes, and when the water goeth first away,
they see it in them for a while, but afterwards it descends lower
out of their sight. - 5. Q.
Whether, when the water is descended inJuneinto thoseabove
Holes, there remains none of it in this Lake in placesthoseA. There remains at that time no water, at least not any
holes?
that is considerable for any time in places more elevated than those
holes, most of it draining away towards the holes in the Valleys;
the rest is either imbibed by the Earth, or, if any remain in the
hilly or rocky part, it is evaporated. - 6. Q.
Whether there be not thereabout some River, or Snow, orSeptember
Ice, that may furnish this Lake with the water that returns into it
in?A. The snow falls not till after the Lake is return'd.
There are divers considerable Rivers in the Countries about this
Lake; but these furnish not this Lake, but run a contrary way.
And I could not learn, whether these Rivers did increase or de
crease upon the descent or return of the water of this Lake. - 7. Q.
How those that take the Fish at the return of the water, canA. I affirm, not that they take the Fish when the
remain at the place of the holes, when the water comes to rise high
and with force ?
water ascends, but when it descends. For, besides that the water
spreads speedily, thePrince of , who is Lord of thisEckenberg
Lake and the parts about it, will not permit them at that time to
make any such attempt, expecting to have the Lake replenisht a
gain with the Fish without diminishing them. - 8. Q.
Of what bigness are those Holes, and whether the openingsA. The Holes are of dif
of them are perpendicular, or side wayes?
ferent largeness and figure; some perpendicular at the beginning,
and then oblique; others oblique at first; scarce two exactly a
like. Such holes I have seen in other parts ofCarniola , and in o
ther Countries also. We have a hole call'dElden-hole , not made
by art, but naturally in the mountain, in the Peak-country ofDarbyshire , above 80 fathoms deep. - 9. Q.
How much the Water ascends inSeptember,and in what(196) space of time?A. The water ascends so plentifully, that it fills the
Lake in a short time, especially the Valleys; and the hole in as
short a space, as a Field of about two leagues long and one broad
can well be filled; but I cannot determine it to a day: For, some
years the water ariseth so plentifully, that it fills all aboutNider , and almost to
dorfZirchnitz . - 10. Q.
Whether the water returning is turbid or clear?A. The
water that spouts seems somewhat clear in the Air, but being spread
about, looks as formerly in the Lake. - 11. Q.
whether the water being all return'd inSeptember,remainsJune
until the month offollowing at one and the same hight?A. The
water is not alwayes at the same highth, but somewhat differing ac
cording unto rains, snows, or drought; and they are sensible of its
highth by the tops of the hills in it and its spreading towardsZirch ; but it alters not very much till it begins to go away.
nitz - 12. Q.
Whether no River enters this Lake; and whether it haveA. No
no other way of discharge but by these subterraneous Openings?
River enters it, but only inconsiderable Rivolets on the South and
East-side; nor hath it any other discharge known, but by the holes. - 13. Q.
Whether the Scituation of this Lake in respect of the neighA. The Country is high about the
bouring Country be not very high?
Lake, but the Lake is not high in respect of the Country near it,
but low. Travelling from this Lake towardsIdria , a place noted
for Quicksilver-mines, I found the Country mountanous; there are
Mountains between it andIstria , and between it and the Sea; there
are Mountains inDalmatia , and also towardsCroatia , and upon
divers Mountains in other Countries there are waters replenisht
with Fish, as upon mountCenis . - 14. Q.
Whether there be not some neighbouring Hills, the last IceJune,
of which melting inmay open a passage to the water of thisSeptember,
Lake, and which beginning again to freeze inmay stop aA. I
gain the passage, and force the water to return into this Lake?
did not hear of any Mountain near it, the Ice of which melting
might open a passage to the water of this Lake; but probably this
Lake may hold dependance of, and communication with some sub
terraneous great Lake or Magazin of water belonging to these Hilly
regions, which when full, and running over, may vent it self with
force and plenty into this field, and when scant of water, absorbe
and drink-in the same again; the water of the Lake returning but
from whence it came, having no River running out of it, whereby
to be discharged. - 15. Q.
Whether this Lake freezeth, and whether it hath manyA. It freezeth
fountains on its banks or comming from near hills?
in the Winter like other Lakes: So the Fishes of this Lake have a
closer habitation than those in others; for they are under the Ice
a part of the Winter, and under the Earth a part of the Summer. - 16. Q.
What changes the Fishermen find on that stone they callFisher-stone,
thethereby to conjecture the time when the water is toA. That which they call the
run away?Fisher-stone, is a large stone
upon one of the Hills or elevated parts of the Field, which when
soever it appears above water, the Fishermen, being upon the
Lake, take notice of it, and know thereby, that in a few dayes
the water will retire under ground. For, after the filling of the
Lake inSeptember, the water never decreaseth so low again, as to
let theFisher-stoneappear till it begins to retire underground.
Some Queries and Answers, relating to an Account given in
by Dr.
of a strange Lake in
call'd the
: The Queries were made by a Curious person in
the Answers given by the Author of the said Accompt.