OUTLET OF GORGE. 125 



soon as they knew from the rnsh and bark of the 

 dogs that strangers were near. At the end of the 

 fourth hour after entering the gorge of Dem- 

 bra, we passed by a Hellenic tower and rock- 

 tomb on our left, opposite to which we crossed 

 the river for the last time, from the left to the 

 right bank. The water here is hardly above the 

 horses' fetlock, having become gradually lost 

 beneath the shingle bed, which has a wider 

 spread with the increasing breadth of the val- 

 ley, at this point nearly half a mile broad. The 

 mountains recede and diminish in height, but 

 lose nothing of their former precipitous and 

 picturesque character. On emerging from the 

 gorge we came in sight of a large group of 

 elegant rock-tombs facing the north, near the 

 termination of the mountains on the right bank 

 of the river ; and soon after, of the sea and the 

 plain of Myra, situated at the base of the hills, 

 which, at the above-named rock-tombs, take a 

 western course at right angles with the course 

 of the Dembra. The village of Dembra is placed 

 at the very turning point or toe of the hills, 

 and occupies a small part of the site of the 

 ancient city of Myra. The acropolis crowns the 

 bold precipice above. Without halting to ex- 



