Sketch of the I'hysical Nature of Cypi'us. 



with the underground-water, which they draw up by means of an ancient-modelled "aXaxaTi", a wheel en- 

 circled with buckets round its circumference and generally moved by a horse, a mule or a donkey. 



A few years ago the Government has built two large water-reservoirs in the eastern part of the 

 Messaria. At Synkrasi earthen dams were thrown across two torrents, establishing a basin, which 

 will have a water spread of 200 acres and will hold near 2 million cubic metres of water. After these 

 works had been completed in the year 1899, another project was commenced on a much larger scale already 

 the same year. In the swamp lands in the middle of the plain, near the village of Kuklia, were constructed 

 training banks and solid embankments to a total length of ca. 29 km. The total area of the reservoir, 

 which was thus created, is nearly 5 000 acres, and its capacity is about 33.6 million cubic metres. This 

 basin was brought into use early in the spring of 1901. 



These expensive works have made it possible to store a great part of the surplus water of the 

 season of floods. From the reservoirs water will be issued through a system of iriigation-channels, whenever 

 required for the growth of the crops. 



C. Geology. 



Geological investigations on the island were carried out in the middle of the last century by 

 A. Gaudey and F. Ungeb; in the reports of both these authors we have much useful information on 

 the stratigraphical structure of Cyprus.') A careful study of igneous rocks, occurring in the island, 

 we owe to A. Beegeat, who in 1890 made excursions to various parts of Cyprus.^) A geological map 

 of the island, in the scale of 1 : 348 480, was published in 1905 by C. V. Bellamy, who had stayed five 

 years in Cyprus as Director of public works.*) The map was accompanied by a "key", containing short 

 descriptions of the geological formations existing in the island. In several cases, however, the opinions 

 expressed in this key have been altered by the author in a later book of his on the geology of Cyprus, 

 which he published a short time afterwards together with A. .J. Jukes-Beowne.'') 



On the following pages I will try to give a brief sui'vey of the most important geological foi'mations 

 represented on the island, chiefly based upon the researches of Beegeat and Bellamy. Also Bellamy's 

 map (without the colours) is reproduced in a sti'ongly reduced scale (Fig. 1). The age of several strata being 

 dubious, foi- want of charaeteristical fossils, I have used the local names proposed by Bellamy, 



a. The Solid Rock. 



With the exception of occasional intrusions of igneous rock, the northern mountain-range in its whole 

 length from Kormakiti to Komi Kebir consists of hard compact limestones. For this formation Bellamy has 

 introduced the name Trypanian, fr'om Mount Trypa, one of the highest central summits. By crust-movements 

 the beds are now brought in nearly vertical position. In colour they vary from white or pale greyish to 

 nearly black; cream-coloured, brown and blue varieties are also occasionally met with. There can be no 

 doubt that this is the oldest formation existing in Cyprus. Fossil remains have hitherto been searched in 

 vain, which has caused some uncertainty as to the systematical placement of the formation. While Ungee 

 held the Trypanian limestones to be of Jurassic age, Beegeat and Bellamy have adopted the opinion, 

 already maintained by Gaudey, that they belong to the upper part of the Cretaceous system. This explanation 

 is also supported by analogies from corresponding layers in Syria Younger than the Trypanian limestones 

 are the "Lapithos beds', in which Bergeat has discovered traces of nummulites, indicating an Eocene origin; 



■) Alb. Gacdky, (iéologie de I'ile ile (.'hyiiio (1863). — RechercHes scieutif. en Orient. (1855). — Unoer imd Kotschy, 

 Die Insel Cypern (1865). 



-) Alpk. Bergeat, Zur fieologie d. massigen Oesteine d. Insel ("ypern (1892). 



^) ( '. V. Bellamy, A (Teoh)gical Map of ( 'yprus. London 1 905. 



*) V. V. Bellamy and A. .1. Jukes-Browne, The (ieolog-y of Cyprus. Plymouth 1905. 



