OF SEVERAL PARTS OF WESTERN ASIA. 411 



over it, and I think we have facts to warrant us in saying, that 

 the desert will be changed into a Paradise of flowers and fruits. 



As we come to the hills surrounding the plain of Oroomiah, 

 limestone is for a time the predominant rock. This is evidently 

 of secondary or tertiary character. Some of it, as Nos. 210, 213, 

 and 214, is chalky, and resembles the limestones of mount Leb- 

 anon. But Prof. Bailey could not find in it any remains of 

 Foraminifera. A few of these varieties I analyzed. 



No. 214 is from a mountain fifteen miles northwest of the city 

 of Oroomiah. It is used for purposes of building, and by the 

 Nestorians for gravestones, in large blocks. The specimen ana- 

 lyzed was broken from the monument over Mrs. Dr. Grant, the 

 wife of an American missionary. In one hundi'ed parts I found, 

 Earthy residuum, ..... 0.33 



Carbonate of magnesia, . . . ■ . 0.83 

 Carbonate of lime, ..... 98.84- 



100.00 

 No. 210 is another variety from the same mountain, and is 

 used in Persia for hydraulic cement. The native name for this 

 rock is Ahak. In one hundred parts I found. 



Earthy residuum, 0.66 



Carbonate of magnesia, .... 0.55 

 Carbonate of lime, 98.79 



100.00 

 If this is a fair specimen of this limestone, and if our notions 

 respecting hydraulic cement are correct, I hardly know how to 

 explain the fact, that this rock should produce such cement. But 

 I believe the analysis to be essentially correct, and I must leave 

 others to explain the difficulty. 



A very common and impure limestone is Nos. 200 and 201. 

 It occurs on the mountain west of the plain, in layers from two 

 to four inches thick, and is used extensively for paving, building, 

 and gravestones. I should suppose this might make a better 

 hydi-aulic cement than No. 210. 



Connected, probably, with the limestones above described, 

 gypsum is abundant. It occurs in an insulated hill, fifteen hun- 



