CIR KNIT Z, LAKE OF, the Lugca Palus of Strabo, is a lake in Carniola, remarkable for several curious natural phenomena which it exhibits. It is situated about six miles from Laybach, and is surrounded on the north by rugged and frightful rocks. It is fully two leagues long from cast to west, and one league in width from north to south. Its depth varies from 6 to 24 feet. There are three islands on the lake, the most considerable of which is called \rollick, which has sufficient surface for a village called Ottok, and a church. The other two islands are called the greater and the lesser Goritza. .A tongue of land, called llornoschek, stretches very far into the lake, and forms a peninsula, which is separated from the isle of Vornek by a very narrow strait. Eight rivulets run into the lake, the largest of which are the Cirknitz and the Obinv. The former passes by a village of the same name, which is situated at half a league from its mouth. Without reckoning Cirknitz and Ottok, there are seven villages at a very short distance from the margin of the lake.
There is no exit for the waters of the lake, excepting by two openings at the level of the surface, called the greater and the lesser Karlouza, which are natural ague ducts formed out of the solid rock, and passing through the middle of the mountain to the opposite side of it, where they discharge the water at the grotto of St Cantianus. In addition to these two canals, there are no fewer than eighteen apertures at the bottom of the lake through the waters often retire, and completely disappear.
When this singular phenomenon begins to take place, the waters first retire through the opening called and disappear by degrees, till at the end of the fifth day the bottom of the lake appears around this opening. At the end of the next five days the bottom of the lake is seen around the opening called Vodomo. At the end of other five clays, the pool Reschetto is evacuated ; five days afterwards the Koten pool is emptied ; and in five clays more the Levisde is dried. In 25 days therefore the whole bed of the lake has become dry, the water having during that time been also carried oft' by the other thir teen apertures. The bottom of the lake is now cultivated, and sown. Vegetation advances with extraordinary rapi• dity, and in the course of three months the peasants ga ther hay and millet.
It is generally about the end of four months that the waters begin to return. They rush through the different openings with great force, and in the space of about 24 hours the lake is completely filled. Sometimes the lake has emptied itself thrice in one year ; at other times years have elapsed without its having discharged its waters ; but whenever the phenomenon does take place, the wa ters always return in less than four months. The phe nomenon generally takes place about the end of June, or the beginning of July. In 1729, the waters were absorb ed twice, once in summer, and a second time in win ter.
A great variety of fish is found in this lake, such as pike, trout, tench, eels, carp, and perch. The pike sometimes Nveighs ten, twenty, and even forty pounds ; and when ever the waters begin to retire, a hell is rung at Cirknitz, to give notice of the event to the neighbouring villages. Every thing is then prepared for fishing, and if the ebb happens in the night-time, the peasants fish even by can dle light. Valvasor, in his description of Carniola, ( Die Ehre des Herzogthums Crain &c. durch, W. Valvasor, 1689,4 vols. folio,) informs us, that when the water is en tirely run off into its subterraneous caverns, the peasants descend with lights into the cavity called Ribcscajania, which is in a hard rock, three or four fathoms under ground, to a solid bottom, where the water is carried off thr gli very small holes, as through a sieve ; the fish be ing ft behind in this natural nct.
e fishing of the lake belongs to the six lordships of Hasberg, Steenberg., Auersperg, Lass, Schneeberg, and the convent of Sittich. Some pools are given to the fish ermen for their trouble, and they sometimes sell their chance before they cast their nets. The lord of Steen berg once gave a fisherman 30 guilders for his chalice in one pool, and the quantity of fish caught on this occasion amounted to fourteen cart loads.
The lake of Cirknitz stands higher than the country about Planina, which is on one side of it, and is a low valley with several cavities. The other side of the lake is surrounded with high mountains, so that the phenome non of the lake might be explained on the principles of Hydrostatics. (7:-)