PASSES OF MASSICYTUS. 291 



above the sea. There is probably an ancient 

 site, as yet unvisited, near the Almalee side of 

 this mountain road. 



The other route pursues a different course ; it 

 crowns the Massicytus and its southern slope, 

 and reaches the valley of the Xanthus below a 

 village called Arsa, on the west side of the moun- 

 tain, eleven hours from Armootlee, and imme- 

 diately above the gorge of the Manger Tchay. 



May 19th. — At an early hour we left Armoot- 

 lee, and proceeded to the upper extremity of 

 the plain following the course of the Ak-soo. 

 After three hours journey we reached the head 

 of a valley descending into the plain of Kassa- 

 bar. Through this ravine a road proceeded to 

 that plain ; and another, which indicated our 

 course, ascended through the forests covering the 

 southern arm of the Massicytus. Here are the 

 yailahs of the villages around Kassabar, cleared 

 and cultivated spots in the most elevated parts 

 of the forest. The green of their herbage was 

 enlivened by a beautiful species of tulip, and 

 many kinds of star of Bethlehem. In the thick- 

 est part of the forest, the foremost of our caval- 

 cade, our Turkish guide, came suddenly on a 

 large brown bear. He fired at but missed the 



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