of several parts of avestern asia. 417 



PhenOiAiena of Drift in Western Asia. 



With a few statements respecting the phenomena of diift in 

 Western Asia, I shall close this paper. 



This is the most difficult of all geological subjects, on which to 

 obtain information, in countries whose geology has not been 

 thoroughly explored. The most intelligent traveller may pass 

 through regions prolific in marks of what I call glacio-aqueous 

 agency, without noticing them, unless he has been previously fa- 

 miliar with the phenomena. Still I think our missionaries have 

 furnished a few facts, making it probable that eastern countries 

 are not destitute of such phenomena. 



To begin with Armenia. Before Mr. Perkins left this country, 

 he accompanied me to a striking example of what have been of 

 late called moraines, produced not by glaciers alone, but by ice 

 crowded along the surface in any mode, whether by expansion, 

 water, or gravity. I reqiiested him to inform me, whether any 

 similar phenomena came under his notice in the east. Soon 

 after his arrival there, he says, that on the vast plain to the north 

 of Ararat, and considerably distant, " we passed many sections 

 of drift, much like the one we visited back of Amherst." On his 

 return recently to this countiy, he thus wiites from Trebizond, 

 under date of August 13th, 1841. 



" Just back of the city of Trebizond, is a moinatain, about six hun- 

 dred feet high, which runs from the seashore around the city, and 

 which is called by the natives, Bos Tajya or Azure Hill. About half 

 way up this mountain, Mr. Johnston (American missionary there) 

 pointed out to me some striking geological features. Directly on 

 the declivity is a section of strongly marked drift, consisting of coarse 

 gravel and sand. A small ravine having conducted the water down 

 to the top of one of these hills, it has been gullied to the depth of 

 twenty feet, which reveals the sand and pebbles to that depth. Fur- 

 ther along, on the side of the mountain, and at just the same height, 

 we observed, where a road had been excavated, a deposit of the same 

 drift in the crevices of the rocks." 



" I have often observed, in different parts of Western Asia, par- 

 ticularly in Persia, hills of drift ; but none so regularly conical, or 

 rather inverted-punch-howl-shaped, as those on the declivity of this 



