DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5541#0113
Chap, v.]
VALLEY OF THE RHYNDACUS.
85
some miles amongst pine-woods, crossing a succession of
glens, down each of which a clear stream hurried over its
rocky bed to join the river. The scenery on the left was
very striking, with the Rhyndacus flowing through a narrow
gorge between cliffs of marble, which rose perpendicularly
from the water's edge, and had the appearance of having
been rent asunder by an earthquake.
At 8h. 5m. we crossed one of the mountain-torrents be-
fore mentioned, at a lonely spot, where a patch of soft and
mossy turf, enamelled with flowers, was hemmed in by steep
and wooded hills on the right, and high limestone cliffs on
the left, through which the water had forced a winding
passage. These rocks were of crystalline limestone, asso-
ciated with brown, and slightly micaceous schists. This
wild and varied scenery became more Alpine at every
step, as we penetrated into the recesses of the moun-
tainous district, which appears to form part of that division
of Asia Minor to which Strabo has given the name of
Mysia, or Mseonia.
Soon after nine we changed our direction to south, and
leaving the valley of the Rhyndacus behind us, ascended
rapidly until we reached the summit of the range, whence
we obtained a fine view of Mount Olympus, bearing nearly
N.E., and towering far above the intervening district of
wooded mountain-chains.
The country appeared quite uninhabited; for hours we
met neither peasant nor traveller, and the only evidence of
the operations of man was to be seen in the charred trunks
of the pine-trees. This practice of burning the lower part
of the stem is constantly resorted to by the Euruques, who
pasture their cattle on these mountains during the summer,
in order to extract the resin, which exudes in great abun-
dance from this species of pine, and is an article of con-
siderable commerce at Smyrna. The villagers and country
people whom we had met with since leaving Kirmasli
were civil and inoffensive; and we felt ourselves in these
VALLEY OF THE RHYNDACUS.
85
some miles amongst pine-woods, crossing a succession of
glens, down each of which a clear stream hurried over its
rocky bed to join the river. The scenery on the left was
very striking, with the Rhyndacus flowing through a narrow
gorge between cliffs of marble, which rose perpendicularly
from the water's edge, and had the appearance of having
been rent asunder by an earthquake.
At 8h. 5m. we crossed one of the mountain-torrents be-
fore mentioned, at a lonely spot, where a patch of soft and
mossy turf, enamelled with flowers, was hemmed in by steep
and wooded hills on the right, and high limestone cliffs on
the left, through which the water had forced a winding
passage. These rocks were of crystalline limestone, asso-
ciated with brown, and slightly micaceous schists. This
wild and varied scenery became more Alpine at every
step, as we penetrated into the recesses of the moun-
tainous district, which appears to form part of that division
of Asia Minor to which Strabo has given the name of
Mysia, or Mseonia.
Soon after nine we changed our direction to south, and
leaving the valley of the Rhyndacus behind us, ascended
rapidly until we reached the summit of the range, whence
we obtained a fine view of Mount Olympus, bearing nearly
N.E., and towering far above the intervening district of
wooded mountain-chains.
The country appeared quite uninhabited; for hours we
met neither peasant nor traveller, and the only evidence of
the operations of man was to be seen in the charred trunks
of the pine-trees. This practice of burning the lower part
of the stem is constantly resorted to by the Euruques, who
pasture their cattle on these mountains during the summer,
in order to extract the resin, which exudes in great abun-
dance from this species of pine, and is an article of con-
siderable commerce at Smyrna. The villagers and country
people whom we had met with since leaving Kirmasli
were civil and inoffensive; and we felt ourselves in these