DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5541#0574
Chap, xxx.]
PLAIN OF TOURBALI.
541
The rich alluvial soil both to the north and south, instead
of being skirted by a range of intervening wooded hills,
as in the valleys of the two last-mentioned rivers, abuts
at once on the steep limestone mountains, by which it is
bounded.
On the north many traces of quarries are visible in
the mountain-side, as also the remains of an ancient
road cut in the solid rock at its foot, and now upon a
level with the plain; its appearance is striking, and the
marks worn by wheels are very apparent. When this
road was originally made, the plain was probably at a much
lower level than at present, and the road was carried along
the face of the rock, on the edge of a steep precipice, to
avoid the inundations to which the plain was exposed.
Between five and six miles from Aiasaluck, changing our
direction from N.E. to N.N.W., we passed round the east-
ern foot of Mount Gallesus, on the lofty and almost inac-
cessible summit of which is perched the solitary castle of
Getchi Kaleh : I am not aware that any traveller has
visited it, although it would be interesting to ascertain
whether such a conspicuous point from all the surrounding
country is Hellenic, Byzantine, or even of a still later
period.*
Our road gradually turned to the N.W., and leaving the
valley of the Cayster we ascended a narrow plain watered
by the Phyrites, which, after draining the plain of Tour-
bali, falls into the Cayster. The range of lofty hills con-
tinued on our left, while those on the right gradually dis-
appeared or trended away to the east: at the tenth mile,
after passing a cafe and a magnificent plane-tree, we en-
tered the extensive plain of Tourbali. The suriji at-
tempted to cross it, through a thick jungle of thorns and
brambles in which wild boars are said to abound; but he
lost his way, and we were compelled to retrace our steps, and
* Mr. Arundel suggests the possibility of its having been an old Persian watch-
tower.
PLAIN OF TOURBALI.
541
The rich alluvial soil both to the north and south, instead
of being skirted by a range of intervening wooded hills,
as in the valleys of the two last-mentioned rivers, abuts
at once on the steep limestone mountains, by which it is
bounded.
On the north many traces of quarries are visible in
the mountain-side, as also the remains of an ancient
road cut in the solid rock at its foot, and now upon a
level with the plain; its appearance is striking, and the
marks worn by wheels are very apparent. When this
road was originally made, the plain was probably at a much
lower level than at present, and the road was carried along
the face of the rock, on the edge of a steep precipice, to
avoid the inundations to which the plain was exposed.
Between five and six miles from Aiasaluck, changing our
direction from N.E. to N.N.W., we passed round the east-
ern foot of Mount Gallesus, on the lofty and almost inac-
cessible summit of which is perched the solitary castle of
Getchi Kaleh : I am not aware that any traveller has
visited it, although it would be interesting to ascertain
whether such a conspicuous point from all the surrounding
country is Hellenic, Byzantine, or even of a still later
period.*
Our road gradually turned to the N.W., and leaving the
valley of the Cayster we ascended a narrow plain watered
by the Phyrites, which, after draining the plain of Tour-
bali, falls into the Cayster. The range of lofty hills con-
tinued on our left, while those on the right gradually dis-
appeared or trended away to the east: at the tenth mile,
after passing a cafe and a magnificent plane-tree, we en-
tered the extensive plain of Tourbali. The suriji at-
tempted to cross it, through a thick jungle of thorns and
brambles in which wild boars are said to abound; but he
lost his way, and we were compelled to retrace our steps, and
* Mr. Arundel suggests the possibility of its having been an old Persian watch-
tower.