FORESTS ON FIRE. 
72 5 
of the mountains on fire in several large tracts once. All the 
surrounding horizon was perfectly black, excepting at those 
points; and there the flames blazed up with the appearance of 
volcanic eruptions, which throwing a red light over objects to a 
vast distance, by these reflections increased the horror of the scene. 
The wind, besides, was roaring amongst the adjoining woods with a 
noise like the sea in a storm; and to its devastating fury might be 
ascribed the mischief I saw before me. Travellers, or wood-cutters, 
having lit some of the felled trees for their temporary bivouac, a 
sudden rising of the wind spread the flames to the adjacent branches; 
and the tremendous effect took place at which I gazed with so 
appalling an admiration. Neglect too, in not extinguishing those 
night-fires when the party leaves them, is often a cause of these 
conflagrations; and perhaps I then saw burning in cruel waste, 
some hundreds of the finest trees in Asia. Similar disasters, from 
similar carelessness, take place on the high grassy steppes to the 
north of the Euxine. 
At various places on, and near the present road, long tracts 
of a Roman causeway remain; indeed vestiges of the same are 
very apparent almost the whole way from Amassia, shewing 
tracts paved with large stones laid with great exactness, and on 
an elevation considerably above the common ground. Soon after 
gaining more level country, we crossed the Boli-chai, anciently 
called the Bilis. It flows at a short distance south of the town 
of Boli, and thence takes a north-eastern winding amongst 
the hills, till it joins the Parthenius or Bartin-sou. We reached 
our menzil between ten and eleven o’clock at night; the 
distance called twelve hours from Garidi, but I deem it thirty- 
six miles. 
Boli occupies the site of Hadrianopolis ; but Turkish jealousy 
