50 EXPLORATIONS IN TURKESTAN. 
to the northeast side of its former valley floor before the revival of erosion ; so 
that, when the recent downcnitting began, the stream became superposed on the 
limestones, from which it has not yet been able to escape. The spur gives location 
to a cross-trail, b}- which the Persian villagers in the headwater valle\s of the Atrek 
system traverse both the limestone anticlines on their way to Askhabad. 
Leaving our pack train to make camp on the stream (altitude about 6,ioo feet) 
just beyond the shale spur, Huntington and I, with one of our jiggits, followed the 
cross-trail to a high pass in the main range, and then climbed on foot to the summit 
of Chapan (about 9,300 feet), where we enjoyed a grand view in all directions. 
Riza, the highest summit of the region (9,732 feet, according to the Russian map), 
lay a mile to the east — a broad dome, in which the limestones were nearly hori- 
zontal, as they were indeed all along the mountain crest. The slope toward the 
Serani Valley was moderately dissected ; the slope toward the plains, 8,000 feet 
below us on the north, was deeply gashed with enonnous ravines. Askhabad was 
clearly in sight, being only about 20 miles distant ; the farther plains faded away in 
the haze of the lower atmosphere. It was diiScult to realize, while we were enjoy- 
ing the fresh, clear air of the mountain top, that the plains were still as hot as we had 
found them a few days before in the glare of noon on the railroad. The Firuza 
synclinal basin was reviewed ; its inclosing monoclinal range was seen to be of 
moderate length, perhaps 20 or 30 miles ; the syncline of the basin was tenninated 
on the west by a great anticlinal dome, on whose northeastern flank a curious 
meandering gorge is cut in the slanting limestone, probably another case of struc- 
tural superposition. The view southward into Persia showed a broad synclinal 
shale basin south of the Buuzan anticline, and several other limestone anticlines, 
with which we made closer acquaintance on the following day. What with form 
and color, it was comparatively easy to sketch the general structure for miles around. 
We followed the Serani stream nearly to its head on June 2. A second chasm, 
due to stream displacement, was passed about 2 miles above the first; then the 
valley shallowed rapidly, and soon opened in a broad upland, about 7,000 feet in 
altitude, which we may call the Chibin upland, from a spring that is noted on the 
map at its southwestern end, and here we came upon some Kurds in their summer 
camps. On the south rose the narrow and sharply serrate anticline of Giluli peak 
(9,378 feet), which seems to open and blend with the main anticline farther south- 
east, and which soon weakens to the northwest, leaving a broad and low ridge 
between it and the Buuzan anticline. These two ranges are so closely in line that 
they should be regarded as parts of a single upfolding, the variation in height along 
the line being probably referable to differences in degree and sharpness of folding, 
and perhaps in part to faulting. 
THE SELSUPARALI BASIN. 
Our road led us across the lowest point of the broad ridge, which we 
approached by gentle ascent from the Chibin upland on the north; but its 
aspect changed when, on looking down its .southern slope, we found there a 
rapid descent of 1,000 or 1,500 feet into the open basin of the broad Selsuparali 
shale syncline. This basin is drained through gorges in the Isferanli anticlinal 
