530 T. SPKATT ON THE COAL-BEARING DEPOSITS NEAPv EREKLI. 



small hamlet in each, we descended into the valley of Karditch at 

 three and a half hours from Kosloo. 



In our descent on the east side of it we came upon the coal- 

 bearing beds, dipping to the S.W. at angles of 40° and 50°, and at 

 about three miles from the coast. We had also seen coal-seams in 

 the other valleys we had crossed, but situated nearer the sea. 



To the southward of Karditch masses of limestone appeared on 

 both sides of the valley, with the coal-bearing deposits, apparently 

 dipping under them. But as these latter deposits were inclined 

 at all angles, sometimes the relative superposition of these beds was 

 not identifiable without a more perfect examination. Considerable 

 local disturbances seemed to exist here, as the result of proximate 

 volcanic action ; a dyke of igneous rock, although somewhat resem- 

 bling an altered shale, seemed to form the crest of the ridge near 

 the village of Karditch, and dipped at an angle of 60° and upwards 

 S.W. and S.S.W. 



To the westward of Karditch we crossed several valleys leading 

 to the coast, in which coal existed. In one of these, near the vil- 

 lage of Aliagazzi, there were two seams, now being worked by 

 Croat squatters, the dip of one of which seams was as much as 70°. 



At another valley and village called Arnout-keni, there was a seam 

 of good coal, between 8 and 10 feet thick, that had not yet been 

 worked. 



In all these valleys and intervening ridges I found that the Coal- 

 seams and associated shales, &c. represented a series of anticlinally 

 and synclinally disposed undulations of the beds, indicative of 

 great lateral as well as local pressure and disturbance, the anticlinal 

 summits of these flexures having been considerably denuded of the 

 continuing strata. 



The view to the southward, over these parallel ridges, where 

 attainable on our route, from being for the most part clothed with 

 dense forests of oak, beech, and wild fruit-trees, and from being- 

 devoid of any conspicuous peak or mountain until nearer Erekli, 

 resembled the broad waves of the ocean, and were in unexplored 

 beauty — in apparently primeval condition. 



In this part, and also near Erekli, we found the shales over which 

 the road passed much decomposed and soft, as well as showing 

 metamorphic action from volcanic influence, the focus of which 

 seems to be at or near Erekli, as I shall show by a brief descrip- 

 tion of the locality, which I was enabled to examine during the two 

 following days, before my return to Constantinople ; for as Erekli was 

 the depot to which the coal was sent from the localities at which it 

 was procured along the coast, chiefly in small coasters, for tranship- 

 ment to Constantinople in vessels of larger burden, it became impor- 

 tant that my Report should be accompanied by a survey of the only 

 secure anchorage near the Coal-bearing district. 



