LOFTUS — TURKO-PERSIAN FRONTIER. 321 



Christian village of Axarav ; upon this are strewed numerous flint- 

 pebbles, derived from the limestone, and containing the Operculina 

 of the Kirrind beds ; from which we may conclude that this lime- 

 stone is of the nummulitic age. 



From the ravine in which Axarav is situated a third limestone 

 ridge is crossed to the plain of Kanzag, the surface of which is 

 thickly covered by large and small lumps of pumice, with here and 

 there a piece of obsidian, probably resulting from the last eruption of 

 Suphan Dagh. 



A descending section in the ravine leading to Kanzag shows — 1 . 

 White limestone ; 2. White clays, with Pecten ; 3. Loose grey sand- 

 stone. 



The small village of Dilan is situated on the north of the road, 

 and is reached by a very steep ascent from Kanzag up the side of 

 the mountain, over fine loose volcanic sand, mixed with pumice and 

 obsidian. At Dilan basaltic lava from Suphan Dagh overflows this 

 sand, as well as a patch of the white clay No. 2, 



Another small plain and a low limestone spur intervene between 

 Kanzag and the volcanic sand plain of Arin, at the S.E. foot of 

 Suphan Dagh. A high solitary rock of travertin rises conspicuously 

 from the centre of this plain, like some ancient ruin. A little further 

 westward, the base of the basaltic lava-stream from Suphan Dagh is 

 skirted for about a mile. It has identically the same appearance as 

 the lavas of Mount Ararat and Tendiirli, and there can be little 

 doubt of all the three mountains having been erupted at the same 

 period. A distinct crater exists at the summit, as observed by 

 Messrs. Brant and Glascott. The former gentleman remarks*, that, 

 although only 10,000 feet above the sea, the party who ascended the 

 mountain were affected with extreme dizziness and nausea, and he 

 ascribes these sensations to the fumes of sulphur emitted from the 

 crater. 



The little village of Arin is situated at the eastern extremity of a 

 small salt lake, midway between the base of Suphan Dagh and the 

 Lake of Van. Mr. Brant remarks f that in 1838 "Arin is situated 

 about one mile from its Lake ;" but in 1852 the village was not 

 more than a few paces from its edge, and the villagers have been in 

 constant alarm of being driven out. They say that the water rose 

 simultaneously with the Lake of Van to the height of seven feet ; 

 but that since 1850 it has been subsiding. At Horantz, on the west 

 side, the shore was covered 120 paces from its present margin. It 

 may therefore be fairly concluded that the water of the Lake of Van 

 oozes through the narrow intervening sandy isthmus, and that in so 

 doing the saltness is partially extracted. This will account for the 

 very slight degree of saltness in the Arin Lake. 



About four miles from Horantz, on the neck of the isthmus, there 

 is a small village called Pargat, which before the rise was situated a 

 good mile from the Lake of Van. When the rise had attained its 

 maximum height, the water stood four feet up the walls of the 



* Journ. R. Geog. Soc, vol. x. p. 410. f Ibid. p. 405. 



VOL. XI. PART I. Z 



