THE MEDITERRANEAN NATURALIST 
This elevated tract of ground is now of a basin- 
like shape, the sides of which slope inwards and 
culminate in a sudden down thrown. 
The sides of the hollow are perpendicular, and 
extremely rugged; and they show here and there, 
distinct scorings, that appear to have the character, 
of “slickensides,” which have been caused by the 
friction of the opposing strata in its descent. 
Access may be had to the bottom by means of a 
series of rudely fashioned steps, that have been 
cut in the sides for the accomodation of the great 
number of visitors that annually go to the place. 
Covering the bottom there is a rich alluvial soil, 
in which the carob, the cactus, and the fig-tree 
flourish luxuriantly all the year round. 
According to the traditions of the villagers the 
chasm marks the site of a village, which in times, 
past, was visited by Divine Wrath as a punish- 
ment for the manifold offences of which the inha- 
bitants had been guilty and therefore, from that 
time to this, the place has been known as Makluba 
or the “overturned.” 
Such is the legend that is connected with it; 
the geological facts are, however, much at variance 
with the villagers’ folk lore. 
Leading immediately from the hollow, and run- 
ning southwards in the direction of the sea, are 
two fissures, which extend for some considerable 
distance into the Lower Limestone. They were, 
probably, formed prior to the formation of the 
underground cavern which caused this sinking in 
of the superior deposits; and thus their existence 
facilitated the ingress of the water, which, satu- 
rated with carbonic acid, eroded the cave, and 
also assisted its egress, when it was ladened with 
the eroded material. A large underground cavern 
was thus formed in the limestone, the roof of 
wlricn was, in consequence of the magnitude of 
the dimensions of the cavern, left in a very 
unstable condition, and it was thus rendered 
susceptible to the least movement. 
A. shock may have been given by an earthquake, 
which, by enlarging the fissure already formed, 
caused the undermined stratum to obey the laws 
of gravity, and to descend to the level at which 
we now find it. The total area occupied by the 
cavity is about 70 square yards. 
At Dueira in Gozo, there is a similar depression ; 
but it is on a nn,ieh grander scale than is that of 
71 
Makluba. A huge circular fault has there brought 
all of the superior deposits to a depth of 200 
feet below the surface level of the Lower Coral- 
line Limestone. On the western side the Lower 
Coralline Limestone cliffs have been eaten through 
by the sea and a small bay has thus been formed 
the only outlet of which is the tunnel that per- 
forates the cliff sides. Active denudation of the 
remnants of the beds IV, III, II and I, that still 
exist within the depressed area, is even now going 
on and that so rapidly too, that in a comparatively 
short space of time, no trace of the former presence 
of these beds will be left. 
Unlike the Makluba hollow, the downthrow has 
not been uniform ail round, as is shown by the 
height of the cliffs that surround the depression. 
Thus while those on the eastern side, tower to 
a height of 200 feet, those on the western side are 
but 50 feet high. This great difference is partly 
due to the decided westerly dip that the Lower 
Limestone here takes. 
On the western side, access to the bottom of the 
depression may be had by means of a broad, easy 
gradient that leads down to a beach of shingle, 
pebbles, and boulders. Judging from the general 
contour of the surrounding area, and the manner 
in which the depressed upper deposits that lie 
within, have been worn away it would . appear as 
if a considerable volume of freshwater had former- 
ly here found an outlet into the sea. Such a torrent 
would have assisted considerably in the perfora- 
tion of the cliff face, and it is only by the means 
of such a torrent that the five-sixths of the basins 
that is now almost empty, could have been so 
effectually cleaved of all of the Marl, Greensands, 
and Upper Coralline Limestone - debris that for- 
merly existed in it. Even now the waters of the 
Kaura Gorge, a steep, and rugged valley are perio- 
dically poured down the old waterway during the 
winter time; and they still carry on the work of 
erosion. 
The district for some miles around has beer, 
much faulted and broken up; and it should be 
visited if only for the wildness, and uncouthnes, 
of its scenery. It has a bold ruggedness and 
a barren wildness such as are not to be met 
with in any other part of the islands. 
The fantastic architecture, and bold outlines of 
the General’s rock, and its outliers; the variegated 
