168 VALE OF TEMPE. 



fall in its course, in some part of the Vale of 

 Tempe, and act as a dam to flood the Thessalian 

 plain, for which a few feet would suffice; and 

 this dam distended by an earthquake, or other 

 convulsion of nature, would be carried away by 

 the current, and the drainage of the plain ne- 

 cessarily follow. In this manner, it is easy to 

 account for the sudden and not very far remote 

 drainage of this plain, without supposing so tre- 

 mendous a convulsion as the forcible separation 

 of two huge mountains, an event which could not 

 have taken place to the extent which tradition 

 has handed down, without having changed the 

 whole face of the country for hundreds of miles, 

 and without leaving visible traces of so extraor- 

 dinary an event, both in the vale and in the sur- 

 rounding country. 



On my way through Tempe, I chanced to en- 

 ter a good deal into conversation with our surri- 

 gee, who seemed very much disposed to be com- 

 municative. Seeing a small town on my right, 

 which I guessed from its situation must be Am- 

 belakia, I observed incidentally, "That is Ambe- 

 lakia, is it not?" He looked round at me very 

 slyly, and replied, " I see you know this road. 



