CATASTEOPHE OF KANTZORIK, ARIJENIA. 33 



After walking for half an hour I arrived at the western opening 

 of the valley and the terminal point of the flow. There I could 

 see at once the complete bouhversement which had been produced a 

 week before. From this point to the foot of the great Eastern 

 Mountain (which is situated at the other extremity of the valley in 



Sketch-plan of the district of Tortoum, luhere the catastrophe occurred 

 in Aur/ast 1889*. 



1. Eastern Mountain. 2, Kantzorik. 3. Mkhab. 

 4, Tortoum Kale. 5. Sagher. 



the direction from east to west), for a distance of about 7 or 8 kilo- 

 metres, and for a width varying between 100 and 300 metres, 

 according to the configuration of the ground, stretched, like a vast 

 motionless river, a mass of solidified marly mud, the greater part of 

 which was of a bluish-grey colour, and the remainder of various 

 other tints. 



This material, which, taking account of its superficies and of the 

 inclination of the flanks of the mountains and hills forming the 

 valley, may be estimated approximately at more than 50,000,000 

 cubic metres, has the appearance of an undulating sheet, some 

 asperities of which attain a height of as much as 10 metres, and 

 sufficiently demonstrate that, after having been thrown out in the 

 fluid state, by contact with the cold air and the rapid volatilization 

 of the gases which it contained, it became solidified, and retained 

 upon its outer surface the character produced by its undulatory 

 movement, and the contraction which it underwent more or less 

 rapidly, which enabled it, even at its margins, to remain, like a tains, 

 above the level which it must have taken, had it spread further, in 

 extending. Of course the solidification of this fluid mass could only 

 take place from above downwards ; and while the uj^pcr part acquired 

 consistence, the lower part still allowed of the passage of more 

 liquid materials, carrying with them the balls of which I have already 



* This is a photographic reproduction of a sketch sent by the Author. 



Q.J.G. S.No. 181. D 



