DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5541#0346
316
BAD ROADS.
[Chap. xix.
or 40°,—thus clearly proving the existence of an anticlinal
line caused by the protrusion of the trap rocks above
described.
Presently the road entered a narrow and deep ravine,, the
opposite sides of which, scarcely forty feet apart, rose almost
perpendicularly to a height of several hundred feet. In
many places there was no other path but the narrow and
rocky watercourse, which the baggage-horses had great
difficulty in ascending, and which in rainy seasons must be
quite impassable. Bad however as this was, it became
worse when we ascended the side of the ravine to the right,
by a winding path amidst rugged rocks and thickly-tangled
wood. At length, a few minutes before two, after a labo-
rious ascent, during which the baggage-horses several times
came to a stand-still, and some of them narrowly escaped
falling over the precipices, we reached the village of Meh-
met Bey Oglu Kieui, situated in the midst of wild Alpine
scenery, over which I wandered in the evening, and enjoyed
a most delicious natural bath in the wooded ravine below
the village.
At four p.m. the thermometer was 85° Fahr.; by six p.m.
it had fallen to 69° Fahr. At this time a most extraordinary
thick mist was ascending the valley by which we had passed,
the effect of which was very striking; as the huge and com-
pact masses of vapour were driven up the main valley to
the south, instead of turning to the west towards us. Soon
after nightfall, however, it reached our station, and spread
over the surrounding hills. The natives said it was a com-
mon occurrence after a hot day; but that it would blow off
in the course of a few hours, and re-appear again in the
morning. Before nine p.m. it was all gone. The vapours
drawn up by the sun from the sea during the day, seemed
to have been driven by the sea-breeze against the northern
flanks of the mountains, where they were condensed in a
much colder rea-ion.
d
Thursday, July 28.—At six we started amidst fog and
mist from Mchmet Bey Oglu Kieui. For the first mile the
BAD ROADS.
[Chap. xix.
or 40°,—thus clearly proving the existence of an anticlinal
line caused by the protrusion of the trap rocks above
described.
Presently the road entered a narrow and deep ravine,, the
opposite sides of which, scarcely forty feet apart, rose almost
perpendicularly to a height of several hundred feet. In
many places there was no other path but the narrow and
rocky watercourse, which the baggage-horses had great
difficulty in ascending, and which in rainy seasons must be
quite impassable. Bad however as this was, it became
worse when we ascended the side of the ravine to the right,
by a winding path amidst rugged rocks and thickly-tangled
wood. At length, a few minutes before two, after a labo-
rious ascent, during which the baggage-horses several times
came to a stand-still, and some of them narrowly escaped
falling over the precipices, we reached the village of Meh-
met Bey Oglu Kieui, situated in the midst of wild Alpine
scenery, over which I wandered in the evening, and enjoyed
a most delicious natural bath in the wooded ravine below
the village.
At four p.m. the thermometer was 85° Fahr.; by six p.m.
it had fallen to 69° Fahr. At this time a most extraordinary
thick mist was ascending the valley by which we had passed,
the effect of which was very striking; as the huge and com-
pact masses of vapour were driven up the main valley to
the south, instead of turning to the west towards us. Soon
after nightfall, however, it reached our station, and spread
over the surrounding hills. The natives said it was a com-
mon occurrence after a hot day; but that it would blow off
in the course of a few hours, and re-appear again in the
morning. Before nine p.m. it was all gone. The vapours
drawn up by the sun from the sea during the day, seemed
to have been driven by the sea-breeze against the northern
flanks of the mountains, where they were condensed in a
much colder rea-ion.
d
Thursday, July 28.—At six we started amidst fog and
mist from Mchmet Bey Oglu Kieui. For the first mile the