DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5542#0363
248
HEY SHEHER.
[Chap. l.
mountains on the western side rising- abruptly from the
water's edge.
From this ridge we descended by a rocky road over al-
most vertical beds of argillaceous shale, micaceous sand-
stone, and thin-bedded blue limestone, dipping towards the
N.E., until we came upon low hills of horizontal tertiary
limestone, in one of the upper beds of which, two or three
hundred feet above the present level of the lake, I found a
thin bed of argillo-calcareous shale full of fresh-water
shells, amongst which I easily recognised Planorbis, Limntea
and Paludina, besides others to me unknown.
Shortly before two we entered the town of Bey Sheher,
built in the plain near the lake, on both sides of the river,
which flows to the N.E., for several miles, until it escapes
through the mountains to the south. The principal part
of the town, once a place of great traffic and commerce,
is on the north side of the river, which we forded just below
a stone bridge of seven arches : it contains several Turkish
buildings of good style and architecture; but generally
it was dirty and wretched, and fast falling to decay : after
all we had heard about the plague, we thought it most
prudent to pass through, and encamp outside the ruined
walls near the lake.
Only one gate remains in a tolerable state: within I
saw an old mosque richly ornamented, besides a ruined
bath, and a Bezcstan, now converted into a manufactory of
earthenware of the most ordinary description. The lake
is said to be thirty-two hours in circumference, including,
I presume, all the bays and windings of the shore. On
the east side it is very shallow, rushes and reeds extending
far into the water, and beyond this are several low islands,
on one of which the Menzilji keeps his horses during the
summer. Some rocky wooded islands are on the opposite
side near the mountains, and also near the north end of the
lake. In these respects it closely resembles the lake of
Soghla, which, when it extended to the north of Seidi
Sheher, would also have had its islands in the insulated
HEY SHEHER.
[Chap. l.
mountains on the western side rising- abruptly from the
water's edge.
From this ridge we descended by a rocky road over al-
most vertical beds of argillaceous shale, micaceous sand-
stone, and thin-bedded blue limestone, dipping towards the
N.E., until we came upon low hills of horizontal tertiary
limestone, in one of the upper beds of which, two or three
hundred feet above the present level of the lake, I found a
thin bed of argillo-calcareous shale full of fresh-water
shells, amongst which I easily recognised Planorbis, Limntea
and Paludina, besides others to me unknown.
Shortly before two we entered the town of Bey Sheher,
built in the plain near the lake, on both sides of the river,
which flows to the N.E., for several miles, until it escapes
through the mountains to the south. The principal part
of the town, once a place of great traffic and commerce,
is on the north side of the river, which we forded just below
a stone bridge of seven arches : it contains several Turkish
buildings of good style and architecture; but generally
it was dirty and wretched, and fast falling to decay : after
all we had heard about the plague, we thought it most
prudent to pass through, and encamp outside the ruined
walls near the lake.
Only one gate remains in a tolerable state: within I
saw an old mosque richly ornamented, besides a ruined
bath, and a Bezcstan, now converted into a manufactory of
earthenware of the most ordinary description. The lake
is said to be thirty-two hours in circumference, including,
I presume, all the bays and windings of the shore. On
the east side it is very shallow, rushes and reeds extending
far into the water, and beyond this are several low islands,
on one of which the Menzilji keeps his horses during the
summer. Some rocky wooded islands are on the opposite
side near the mountains, and also near the north end of the
lake. In these respects it closely resembles the lake of
Soghla, which, when it extended to the north of Seidi
Sheher, would also have had its islands in the insulated