"بعثة لإجراء عملية مسح لنهري دجلة والفرات، تم تنفيذها بأمر من الحكومة البريطانية، في السنوات ١٨٣٥، ١٨٣٦، ١٨٣٧؛ تسبقها إشعارات جغرافية وتاريخية للمناطق الواقعة بين نهري النيل والسند. في أربعة مجلّدات. مع أربع عشرة خريطة ورسمًا، ومزينة بثلاث عشرة لوحة، بالإضافة للعديد من الرسومات بالحفر على الخشب. المجلّد الأول." [‎٢‎٨‎٦] (٩٠٥/٣٥٣)

The northern
chain of the
286 THE NORTHERN BRANCH OF TAURUS. [CHAP. XIII.
Occasionally the elevation approaches 5500 feet, 1 and the
Taurw; acclivities are so steep that but little corn is cultivated on it.
Portions of the westward slopes are clothed with chestnut,
beech, walnut, alder, and poplar of large growth; whilst, on
the opposite side, the vegetation is more scanty, and the bare
hills are interspersed with tracts of pine forest, or small oaks
mixed with Scotch or spruce fir, and some few beeches or
alders. 8 From the left bank of the lower Jorak the chain
runs south-westward as far as the deep valley of Gfimish
Khanah, along which it sends branches to Tarabuzun. I t is
chiefly a limestone formation, with volcanic rocks and some
granite. It has nearly the same elevation as the preceding
part of the chain; and, like that part, is remarkable for a suc
cession of wild and rocky ravines, with streams flowing down
its slopes on each side, the slopes towards the Black Sea
being, m many places, covered with an underwood of arbutus
rhododendron, rose bushes, and wild vines. Near the silver
mines, a little southward of the town alluded to, the prin
cipal range makes a western sweep almost in a direction
parallel to the coast, and so continues by the town of Niksar
(Ne^Csesarea) and onward to the valley of the Char-Sham-
bab Su, from whence, under the name of Ak Tagh and the
layshan fagh it preserves nearly a westerly direction as far
as the banks of the Halys in the neighbourhood of Osmaniik
A limestone formation prevails throughout this wooded range
which, although grand and marked throughout its course is
more particulariy so in the neighbourhood of Gnmish Khanah
and Niksar. This portion of the chain represents the Pary-
a res or mountains of the Tibareni, Mossynceci,and Chalybes,
all branches of the Taurus ; 3 and being in the vicinity of Nik
sar, above the region of trees, it mast have an elevation of
more than 6000 feet,' whilst the former portion rises to about
Jolfat BraIlt ' S ■ ,0Urney, V01 - VI " Part p - 197 of ,he ^ Geographical
8 Ibid., pp. 191, i95 j
3 Strabo, lib. XII., p, 549
Journal*. 1WS JOUr ° ey> VoL VI - Pait II > P' 2 20 of the Roya! Geographical
its description.