653 



miles in extent, about midway between Kodj-hissar and Sari-kara- 

 man, and is traversed in one place by a N.N.E. and S.S.W. dyke of 

 claystone porphyry : granite occurs also between the latter town 

 and Tatlar. Trap and trachyte were noticed at several places, like- 

 wise serpentine and greenstone near Sari-karaman; and basaltic rocks 

 form table lands overlying the volcanic tuff near Tatlar and Baktash ; 

 and close to Nembscheher beds of basalt alternate with the vol- 

 canic tuff. To the east and north-east of Tatlar the author re- 

 marked several volcanic hiUs, from which streams of basalt or lava 

 appear to have flowed. To the south-east of the village he also 

 saw a stream of a more recent date than that which caps the neigh- 

 bouring hills; for it not only flows at a lower level, but below the 

 steep escarpments of the older basalt. In the ravine near Tatlar, 

 and in the valhes of Utch-hissar and Urjub, the tuiF has been 

 worn into cones from 150 to 300 feet high. They are principally 

 detached from the sides of the vallie*, but are connected at the 

 base ; and are in some places so numerous and close together, that 

 they resemble at a distance a grove of lofty cypresses. Where the 

 cones occur on the sides of the vallies, they exhibit every stage of 

 development, from the first indication of a mound near the summit 

 of the slope, to the full-formed cone at the bottom. In the valley 

 of Urjub some of them are capped by a mass of hard rock, which 

 projects like the head of a mushroom. The production of these 

 cones the author ascribes to the action of running or atmospheric 

 waters. 



One of the principal objects of Mr. Hamilton's visit to this part 

 of Asia Minor, was to ascend to the summit of Mount Argseus, 

 which had not previously been reached by any traveller. 



This mountain rises abruptly from the alluvial plain of Cssarea, 

 sending out prolongations and spurs into the plain which stretches 

 to the north, between Injesu and Csesarea ; but it is connected at 

 its eastern base with other ranges of mountains. It rises, like Has- 

 san Dagh, to a single peak, and it resembles in outline, the summit 

 of Ararat. The highest part consists of a reddish brecciated and 

 scoriaceous conglomerate, full of fragments of trap and porphyritic 

 trachyte, and may be said to be the point of junction of two enor- 

 mous, broken craters, one of which opens to the N.E., the other to 

 the N.W., the steep sides of which are covered to the north with 

 eternal snow for 2000 or 3000 feet below the summit. The height 

 of the mountain was ascertained by Mr. Hamilton to be about 

 13,000 feet, the foUowmg being the results of his observations. 



By barometer 13,293 



By angle of elevation from the Greek Convent 13,242 



By angle of elevation from Kara-hissar 12,809 



A little below the summit, on theS.E. side, rugged, serrated ridges 

 rise through the snow, some of them consisting of a compact tra- 

 chytic rock, with a highly conchoidal fracture, resembling that of 

 hornstone ; but others are composed of porphyritic trachytes of va- 

 rious colours and textures. Near the foot of the great cone, on the 

 S.E., W., and N. sides, rise numerous smaller ones of pumice and 



3 g2 



