THE MOUSSALIM MOUNTAINS. 
687 
running to the south of the above-mentioned chain, and which 
bears the name of Moussalim-Ovedan. A great traffic is carried 
on from these districts, in consequence of the quantities of alum 
produced from these heights ; pitch also, is brought from the 
burning of trees in the forest, and sent, by the way of Trebizond, 
to Constantinople. 
The descent from the Moussalim is very steep, and from the 
loose state of its earth, encumbered by large rolling stones, both 
disagreeable and dangerous. The road was also interrupted by 
pools of stagnant water, which forced us in many places to 
find a more circuitous path. What with the springs within, 
and the effects of thaw and rains on the surface during the early 
months of the year, the ground becomes so decomposed, that 
vast pieces of earth, some measuring many hundred yards, break 
away from the saturated mass beneath, and, like similar accidents 
on the hilly bogs of Ireland, slide down to the valley. When 
these frightful avalanches of earth and stones are on the move, 
sometimes the most fatal catastrophes occur to men and cattle. 
The name of the mountain is derived from a circumstance of 
this sort, which tradition records as having happened to a king 
of Trebizond, who marching along this pass during the marshy 
season, to invade the country westward, was suddenly buried 
with his whole army, by the fall of half the mountain. 
The whole land from hence presented features of the grandest 
forms. Deep valleys, and stupendous insulated heights standing 
like single mountains, each one immense black rock broken into 
a thousand craggy steeps. Beyond these, rose others flanking 
the vale, pile above pile, and mingling their spiry tops with the 
hovering clouds. At their feet stretched a long winding valley 
of uncommon verdure, abundant in fine trees, and watered by 
