404 D. A. Wray — 



Canali. 

 Closely related to the poljes, and of similar origin,, are the long 

 fjord -like arms of the sea, along the Dalmatian coast, known as 

 "canali", which, judging by their outline and analogy, appear to con- 

 stitute karst poljes drowned by the sea. The most prominent of 

 these is the Canale della Morlacca, which can be traced from Porto Ee, 

 near Fiume, for upwards of 100 miles as a deep channel in a south- 

 easterly direction. Its southern limits appear to be marked by the 

 Mare di Novigrad, and the Mare di Karin near Obrovazzo. This 

 ■channel, which has an average width of 3 miles, lies throughout its 

 course close to the boundary between the Cretaceous limestones and 

 the older (Carboniferous and Triassic) rocks, the latter forming the 

 abrupt western scarp of the Velebit mountains, rising to heights of 

 over 1,000 feet within a very short distance of the coast. Another 

 striking fjord-like depression is that known as Canale dell' Arsa, 

 which is 10 miles long and i mile wide, extending north-westwards 

 from the Quarnero into the Istrian peninsula. It has abrupt j)arallel 

 sides with several well-marked rectangular bends, and on its floor on 

 the mainland occurs Lake Arsa (or Cepic), which is known to be 

 rapidly increasing in size, probably owing to the blocking up of its 

 subterranean outlets. Further south, where the Dinaric strike 

 sweeps east and west, are several canali following a similar direction. 

 The more important are those of Lesina, Curzola, and the Canale 

 della Narenta. 



The Cattaro and Scutari Depressions. 

 It is in the Cattaro and Scutari districts where the most intense 

 earth-movements have taken place that is found by far the grandest 

 scenery in all the Illyrian karstlands. Here the profound effect of 

 earth-movement is clearly revealed in the remarkably abrupt 

 features met with. The steep and imposing nature of the mountains 

 that encircle the several bays constituting the Bocche di Cattaro, 

 and also enclosing the plain on which Lake Scutari is situated, 

 strongly suggest that both of these fjord-like hollows are primarily 

 the result of extensive block-faulting, and as such they have been 

 generally described. The Bocche di Cattaro consists of three separate 

 basins and soundings have shown that all three of them attain a 

 considerable depth below their outlets. In the outer bay the great 

 southern wall of the Kumbur channel trending north-west from 

 below Radovits is sheer and spurless, and has every appearance of a 

 large fault-scarp running towards Castelnuovo. Similarly, between 

 the bay of Teodo and the inner Gulf of Cattaro, is the Teodo 

 peninsula, which rises sharply to over 2,500 feet above sea-level. 

 Both the western and eastern walls of this massif rise with sheer, 

 sides from the floor of the gulf and along the sides of the Cattaro- 

 Cettinje coach-road around Fort Trinita there is clear evidence of 

 faulting in continuity with these scarps. The eastern wall of the 

 inner ha,j of Cattaro has also an almost sheer face. Numeroiis 



