Baza and Alhama. 341 



ramifications, from these two mountain ridges. Its breadth 

 from south to north, or from Baza to Huescar, is about thirty 

 miles ; its length from east to west appears more difficult to de- 

 termine, in consequence of the intrusion of minor ridges and ra- 

 mifications, and of an immense deposit of transported materials 

 which intervenes topographically between the gypsiferous beds 

 occupying the lower and central portion of the basin, and the 

 inward flanks of such ridges and ramifications. Including this 

 deposit, whose geological relations I had not time to make out, 

 it may be estimated at between forty and fifty miles. 



The city of Baza is situated at a short distance from the 

 northern base of the transition ridge, or Sierra de Baza, near its 

 eastern termination, the continuation of which, in the latter di- 

 rection, has been interrupted by a valley, which, extending 

 southerly to a village called Caniles, in the opposite direction, 

 passes by Baza, and forms the lowest part of the extensive un- 

 dulating plain to its north. To the latter, from its araphithea- 

 trical configuration, and the beds it contains, I have ventured to 

 give the name of Basin, an appearance which it presents to the 

 spectator, from the high mountains and lower ridges nearly sur- 

 rounding it on every side. A description of the line of road 

 from Baza to Huescar, traversing the entire breadth of this ba- 

 sin, will shew the nature of the predominating deposit it con- 

 tains, which is immediately subjacent to the compact paludina 

 hmestone, observed in the descent to the former town, on ap- 

 proaching it from Guadiz. For the first three miles the road 

 proceeds along cultivated ground, gradually sloping from the 

 base of the escarpment of paludina limestone to the Rio de 

 Baza, a stream which, rising in the high ridge of the same 

 name, after watering the rich fruitful valley between Caniles 

 and this town, runs nearly due north along the lower part of 

 the basin. The soil consists of greyish-coloured argillaceous 

 marl, and produces good crops of wheat and barley. Towards 

 the left a low irregular escarpment, the continuation of that just 

 alluded to, borders the higher part of this sloping ground, and, 

 winding round towards the west, surrounds and abuts against 

 an outlying insulated mountain of transition limestone, called 

 Javalcal. The road proceeding along this cultivated slope for 

 about four miles, by a line which is nearly equidistant from the 



