Observations on some parts of European Turkey. 183 



This last chain is not in immediate connection with the Hae- 

 mus ; but, speaking geographically, is only a continuation of 

 the chain at Eski Sagra. The great valley of the Tondja se- 

 parates the low mountains north of Jeni-Sagra from the plor- 

 ieaux^ composed of slates and blackish limestone, between Ka- 

 rabunar and Fakhi. To the south-east, the slates have been 

 broken through by great masses of diorite and granite ; and 

 this latter, along with gneiss, predominates between Petschio- 

 male and Kirklisse, and even farther to the east. The diorites 

 chiefly occur in the neighbourhood of Fakhi, and seem to be 

 veins in the granite. North of Kirklisse, the decomposition of 

 the granitic rocks has produced fantastic shapes, and given rise 

 to the formation of rocking stones, &c. On approaching the 

 Bosphorus, the shore-chain is divided into a number of small 

 hills situated on low-lying plateaux. Near Serai, we find clay- 

 slates which extend to the Bosphorus, and alternate with grey- 

 wacke and silurian shell-limestone, as near Therapia, and at the 

 Giant's Mountain in Asia. To the north of Bujukdere there 

 is a small trachytic district. 



Geographers call my shore-chain Strandsia Balkan and Kut- 

 schuk Balkan ; but the first name is unknown in the country, 

 and is only that of a village south-east of Serai ; whilst the se- 

 cond is a general denomination given by the Turks to all small 

 hills. This chain is marked on maps as uniting with the Bal- 

 kan between Karnabat and Islivne ; but, at the distance of only 

 three miles eastfrom Islivne, the waters, issuing from the wooded 

 valleys of the Balkan, flow towards the Black Sea. A channel 

 could be cut from Islivne to Burgas. Islivne is near the point 

 where the waters flow in opposite directions, to the Archipela- 

 go and the Black Sea, indeed it is only separated by a small 

 hill from the waters which flow in an easterly direction. 



The Rhodopus does not extend to the Dardanelles as all 

 maps indicate. Like the Perindagh, the mountains above Ras- 

 luk, and those of the famous Kiz-Derbend, its highest summits 

 are situated towards the west, viz. to the south of Banja, Sa- 

 makov, and Dubnitza. These attain an elevation of 8000 feet, 

 and perhaps some of those which I did not ascend are still 

 higher. The chain gradually diminishes in height from west 

 to east, and terminates rather abruptly about ^\q leagues from 



