30 Mr. W. J. Hamilton and Mr. H. E. Strickland, on the Geology of 



and descending the valleys of denudation in the lacustrine formation towards the 

 Hermus. 



The volcanic products of this period are distinguished by the smoothness of 

 their outlines, and by the vegetation which clothes their surface. The cones of 

 scoriae are all low and flat, rising at an angle of about 20°; their craters have either 

 disappeared, or are marked by only small central depressions, and all their asperities 

 seem to have been smoothed down by time. The scoriae which form them are suffi- 

 ciently decomposed to admit of cultivation, and they are almost invariably covered 

 with vineyards, producing the Catacecaumene wine, celebrated from the time of 

 Strabo to the present day*. The streams of lava which have flowed from them, 

 are level on the surface and covered with turf. The cones of this period are about 

 thirty in number, and their position is indicated on the map (PI. II.). We pro- 

 ceed to describe some of the more important examples. 



On the most eastern of the three schistose ridges above-mentioned, are two co- 

 nical hills of considerable magnitude, which are exhibited in the middle of the 

 sketch, No. 11. (See also Section, No. 7.) Remains of a crater are very evident 

 on one of these hills. A broad coulee of lava has flowed from each of them towards 

 the north, and uniting has formed a plain about 200 feet above the Hermus, which 

 has cut a passage through the northern extremity of the lava and the subjacent 

 beds. This coulee is overlaid by a stream of lava of the third period, which 

 will be afterwards described. 



A great number of volcanic cones rise on the top of the central schistose ridge 

 on the west of the plain of Koola (Sketch 12, Sec. 7). Most of them have a slight 

 crateriform depression on their summits. Two or three of these cones, which stand 

 at the eastern foot of the ridge, are partly surrounHed by lava of the third period, 

 flowing from Karadewit ; and the coulees which descend from them towards the 

 Hermus are overlaid in some places by lava of the same age. 



The most western of the three schistose ridges, near the village of Megne 

 (Sect. 7), is also covered with mounds of scoriae, most of them destitute of lava- 

 streams ; but where these exist, they follow the slope of the country towards the 

 north. On the eastern side of the ridge, near the summit, are some stratified beds 

 of volcanic sand and ashes, sloping away from one of the cones. 



About six miles N.W. from Megne, on the north side of a table-land of lacus- 

 trine limestone, is a stream of basaltic lava, which descends nearly to the Hermus. 

 Its lower part is black and vesicular, but it becomes redder and more scoriaceous 

 higher up. The crater from which it has flowed is not apparent. (See Map, PI. II.) 



* Of the fertility of many volcanic soils, when sufficiently decomposed, we see proofs in the vineyards 

 of Vesuvius, Ischia, the Euganean Hills, &c. 



