Observations on some parts of European Turkey. 179 



of this deep defile occupies nine hours, and all around appears 

 a chaos. At Somakov the alluvial soil is full of microscopic 

 particles of magnetic iron-ore ; there are several founderies, and 

 the Pasha of Sophia has built one after an English plan. 



The Balkan or Haemus extends from Sophia to Cape Emi- 

 nek, and runs W. 3% N. to E. 3°, S. or, by compass, nearly 

 W.NW., E.SE. It is a much lower chain than the Despoto- 

 dagh ; the southern slopes are generally very steep, but, on the 

 northern side, it is only the highest ridge which presents con- 

 siderable inclinations. The Balkan is almostdestituteof subordi- 

 nate chains towards the south ; and is composed of the principal 

 high ridge, and a series of parallel lower ones which diminish in. 

 height as they approach the Danube. Between these are large 

 longitudinal valleys ; and we occasionally find rents from north 

 to south intersecting the ridges, and occupied, as in the Alps, by 

 the great rivers that issue from the longitudinal valleys. As the 

 chain diminishes in height from west to east, the high Balkan 

 (Kodja Balkan) forms the western part, at the sources of the 

 Osma, where the summits probably attain an elevation of above 

 4000 feet ; whilst, near the Black Sea, they have only a height 

 of from 1800 to 2000 feet. There is an oblique and pretty 

 high ridge to the west of Czatak and Bashkoe, which separates 

 the waters of the Bebrova from those of the Akali-Komtschik. 

 The eastern part of the Balkan is pretty well delineated in the 

 Austrian map of Turkey, published at Vienna. 



The high Balkan is composed of the crystalline slaty rocks, 

 gneiss, mica-slate, talc and clay slates ; these extend beyond 

 Tschipka on the southern side, but their breadth diminishes 

 from west to east. Above Islivne (which we find wrong placed 

 and under the name of Selimnoon maps), near the middle of the 

 Balkan, there are some very picturesque hills of quartziferous 

 porphyry ; and among these the peaks of the Tschataldagh 

 (rent hill) rise to the height of 2800 feet, thus affording a most 

 beautiful view of Romelia. Islivne is a most delightful station 

 for a naturalist : it is a Turkish town with 15,000 inhabitants, 

 and has, along with Usundschova, the greatest annual fair in 

 Romelia. I may remark that Tschirmen, near Usundschova, 

 is on the southern and not on the northern side of the Maritza 

 river. 



