The Valley Through Which The River Aspropotamo Had Deposited A Layer Of Fertile Alluvium Divided The Mountain Range, Leaving The Plutonic Rocks To The East; And On The Western Side We Ascended A Steep Path Over Cretaceous Limestone, Broken And Disturbed At Intervals By The Protrusion Of Eruptive Rocks.

As we increased our altitude we looked down upon a picturesque view of the bay of Krysokhus, with two sails upon its blue waters beneath the dark cliffs of the western shore.

The ancient Marium or Arsinoe showed no vestiges except in the modern village of Polis, which, from the distance, looked better than the reality, as the foliage of numerous trees shadowing the terrace-built houses upon either side the rich green valley, backed by the lofty range of pine-covered mountains, completed a lovely landscape.

An hour had passed, but still we ascended; the path was as usual rugged, and we already looked down upon the sea and valley at least 2000 feet beneath. I had serious misgivings concerning the camels and their loads. General di Cesnola had examined the whole of this country in his search for antiquities, but the neighbourhood of the ancient Arsinoe, where much had been expected, was almost unproductive.

The path still rose; until at length we arrived upon an extensive plateau about 2400 feet above the sea. The soil was chocolate-colour, and the surface was covered with large stones of the sedimentary limestone that surrounds the coast, and which forms the flat-topped hills of the Messaria.

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 260 of 524
Words from 70938 to 71192 of 143016