DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4719#0263
TBALLES.
241
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Two hours of uninterrupted ascent brought us to the
summit of this splendid range of mountains. Turning to
the north-west, to review our route, we saw the hills of
Smyrna over the uninterrupted level of the valleys we had
crossed. On our right lay the fine range of Mount Tmolus,
partially concealing Mount Sipylus at its western extremity,
and between these ranges lay Sardis and Philadelphia. On
our left rose the high mountains at the back of Colophon
and Teos, and still nearer were the hills concealing the
ancient and renowned city of Ephesus. Immediately below
lay the productive valley down which winds the river
Caystrus, circling the hills and finding its way to the sea in
front of Ephesus. Icicles were around us, and snow covered
the higher peaks on either side of our pass. The mountain
is composed entirely of a slaty schist, veined with a quartz-
like substance, at times almost of an agaty semi-transparent
stone, the whole much contorted and shivered with volcanic
heat.
Two hours of rapid descent brought us within sight of a
point that interested me highly. "We were travelling along
ridges of mountains so perfectly hog-backed, that a stone
dropped from either hand would have rolled into different
valleys; from these abrupt elevations the whole nature of
the country was visible. On the soil which clothed the hills
upon which we stood, and which we had traversed, not a
green leaf was seen, unless olives may be called green; the
chestnut and dwarf-oak trees were brown with the dead
leaves of last year; all others were grey with the naked
branches of winter. About two miles before us appeared
a distinct line marked with a slight valley, cut by the in-
creasing stream from the mountains, beyond which all was
green; and the red, broken and rotten-looking cliffs, seen
through the woods of fir-trees, at once reminded me of the
peculiarity I had noticed in the hills lining and flanking
the mountains on the northern side of the valley of the
M
241
*^0k!
: ■■■'-:::
a
i»
I
Two hours of uninterrupted ascent brought us to the
summit of this splendid range of mountains. Turning to
the north-west, to review our route, we saw the hills of
Smyrna over the uninterrupted level of the valleys we had
crossed. On our right lay the fine range of Mount Tmolus,
partially concealing Mount Sipylus at its western extremity,
and between these ranges lay Sardis and Philadelphia. On
our left rose the high mountains at the back of Colophon
and Teos, and still nearer were the hills concealing the
ancient and renowned city of Ephesus. Immediately below
lay the productive valley down which winds the river
Caystrus, circling the hills and finding its way to the sea in
front of Ephesus. Icicles were around us, and snow covered
the higher peaks on either side of our pass. The mountain
is composed entirely of a slaty schist, veined with a quartz-
like substance, at times almost of an agaty semi-transparent
stone, the whole much contorted and shivered with volcanic
heat.
Two hours of rapid descent brought us within sight of a
point that interested me highly. "We were travelling along
ridges of mountains so perfectly hog-backed, that a stone
dropped from either hand would have rolled into different
valleys; from these abrupt elevations the whole nature of
the country was visible. On the soil which clothed the hills
upon which we stood, and which we had traversed, not a
green leaf was seen, unless olives may be called green; the
chestnut and dwarf-oak trees were brown with the dead
leaves of last year; all others were grey with the naked
branches of winter. About two miles before us appeared
a distinct line marked with a slight valley, cut by the in-
creasing stream from the mountains, beyond which all was
green; and the red, broken and rotten-looking cliffs, seen
through the woods of fir-trees, at once reminded me of the
peculiarity I had noticed in the hills lining and flanking
the mountains on the northern side of the valley of the
M