1857.] SPRATT — FRESHWATER TERTI ARIES, LEVANT. 215 



but one of particular interest occurs at the site of Troy, where a 

 ridge of volcanic rocks extends from the base of the Pergamus to the 

 north-east of the village of Bounarbashi. The limestone-ridge, forming 

 the Pergamus of Troy above it, and extending also to the ridges 

 west of the village, indicates the effect of this volcanic outburst in 

 the fissured condition of some portion of the mountain. But I 

 refer particularly to the fact that the most copious and the most 

 western of the springs which form the Scamander issues through 

 two crevices or rents in a mass of red tufaceous rock that seems 

 to be derived from and connected with these volcanic ejections. 

 These two springs are the most copious of the whole at Bounar- 

 bashi, and together are capable of turning a water-mill after being 

 collected in a basin at the mouth of the fissures. 



These sources, coming through an apparent volcanic vent or rent, 

 suggest most strongly that the water issuing from them in the 

 Homeric time might then have been warmer by a connexion with 

 the subterranean heat, although all the springs showed only 63° by 

 the thermometer which I used in 1838. How beautifully, then, does 

 Homer's description, as rendered by Pope, apply to the long-disputed 

 question of the hot and cold springs of the Scamander ! — 



" This, hot, through scorching clefts is seen to rise," &c. 



Iliad, xxii. 



Curious and interesting, then, is this explanation of a long-doubted 

 point of the Homeric description ; and I introduce it here, not being 

 aware that it has been noticed by any traveller since my reflections on 

 it in 1838, as a point of geological interest in connexion with the 

 igneous eruption above alluded to. 



As the presence or absence of the above-mentioned great igneous 

 centres have a marked influence upon the features of the country, I 

 shall here notice that, excepting some trap-rocks, accompanied by 

 slight local disturbances, as at Kefez Point, near the Arenkeui hos- 

 pital and Chanak castle, none other occurs between the Artake 

 Islands, in the Sea of Marmora, and Tenedos. 



This district presents a great development of freshwater marls 

 and limestones, nearly horizontal, and extending from the Troad to 

 Lampsaki on the south side of the Dardanelles, and from Cape 

 Hellas nearly to Rodosto on the north side, and from Rodosto to 

 Constantinople, on the northern shore of the Sea of Marmora. 



The strait of the Dardanelles entirely divides this great field of 

 freshwater deposits, that have been apparently lifted in mass almost 

 vertically, but divided asunder by the strait, as if separated by a 

 great chasm ; for steep cliffs or banks terminate the ridges that line 

 both shores of the strait, in some cases displaying these deposits in 

 a series of horizontal strata of grey and green marls, brown sands 

 and sandstone, fully 700 or 800 feet thick. 



As I never met with any marine fossils above the freshwater 

 deposits of the Dardanelles, it appears that they were elevated above 

 the newer Pliocene sea-level. 



