PLAIN OF ALMALEE. 289 



led over the mouth of the cavern through which 

 the waters have their outlet. We saw the 

 stream slowly pouring into the yawning chasm, 

 and gliding into its subterranean chambers with- 

 out a murmur or ripple. This is the river which 

 the country-people believe reappears at Limyra. 



Beyond the river the plain is very bare and 

 treeless, save around the scattered villages, the 

 houses of which are built of sunburnt bricks. 

 Large patches of corn, now a foot above ground, 

 surrounded them. In two hours we came to 

 a small flat hillock, or mound, on which were 

 the foundations of ancient buildings, many loose 

 blocks, and much broken pottery. A mile be- 

 yond we forded the Ak-Soo, a considerable 

 stream flowing through the plain from the Mas- 

 sicytus mountains to fall into the Avelan Gule, 

 which it helps to form. It was here about 

 thirty feet broad, and two deep. It meanders 

 between steep and muddy banks, without a shrub 

 or tree to mark its course. Many artificial 

 canals lead from it to irrigate the valley. Here 

 the plain began to contract, and we approached 

 Massicytus, the summits of which, in consequence 

 of our elevation, were not more than six thou- 

 sand feet above us. A journey of six hours 



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