6 On Terrestrial or Epigeic Deposits 



farther south, numerous interior seas diminish progressively, Oi 

 have even already disappeared. 



In the Morea, the lake Phonia, which did not exist in 1814, 

 and has now required a depth of 40 metres, in spite of the small 

 size of its orographical basin, shows how far the conditions oT 

 equilibrium of which we have spoken, are from existing, at least 

 in a mountainous region. 



The dechvities of various enclosed basins are so steep and 

 naked, that almost the whole mass of the rain-water runs into 

 the receptacle ; so that it would be necessary to preserve equi- 

 librium, that the quantity of water evaporated at the surface 

 should be nearly equal to as many times the quantity of water 

 fallen, as the whole surface of the basin contains that of the re- 

 ceptacle, which is inadmissible. 



For this reason we should conclude, that the existence of all 

 these enclosed basins of Greece, without permanent water and 

 external communication, depends on other causes than atmo- 

 spheric influences, and that the nature of the rock alone may fuii- 

 nish us with an explanation of it. 



AVe shall, in the first place, remark, that the compact lime- 

 stone formation which forms the circumference of these en- 

 closed basins, produces detritic or alluvial materials in a much 

 smaller quantity than tertiary and secondary rocks, and even the 

 schistose and other ancient rocks of northern Europe, and that 

 these debris are also much more permeable than those of the 

 formations more or less argillaceous, which have just been men- 

 tioned. Of course the filling up of the cavities should be less 

 rapid, and the infiltrations should facilitate the action of the 

 flowing of the subterranean water, which is the real cause of this 

 phenomenon. 



Of Gulfs or Chasms. — In every enclosed basin there is one or 

 more gulfs, in which the waters of the torrents lose themselves ; 

 in Greece they are at present known by the term kaiavothr; 

 the aacients called them zerethra and clutsma* They are in 

 general situated at the bottom of the mountains which form 

 the circumference of the basin, and we always observe in the 

 rocks which overhang them, open clefts, fractures, and frequent- 

 ly local changes in the stratification. 



• We think that this lafcter word, which belongs to the English language, 

 and has the same meaning, should be introduced into our nomenclature of phy- 

 sical geography. 



