Torrent Beds Research Articles

Lápithos (Lampousa: Acheiropoiétos): Acropolis devastated by Quarrying

The North Range of Cyprus is a long, narrow, rugged ridge of hard steeply-inclined limestones, flanked southwards by coarse grits and sandstones, also steeply-inclined. On both sides of the range the lower slopes consist of later and softer limestones and marls, which overlie the rocks of the range unconformably, and have not been much disturbed since they were formed. The contrast is very marked between (1) the rugged peaks and spurs of the mountains, which run up, barren or sparsely forested, to more than 3000 feet, with passes as low as 1000 feet; (2) the dry brown barren ‘hummocks’ of the grits and sands, and (3) the light soil and great local fertility of the recent lowlands. This fertility depends, however, directly on the water supply; and as the greater part of the rainfall of Cyprus seems to come up from the south-west, and is liable to be intercepted by the hills, the north coast depends mainly on the discharge of the hill rainfall in springs, which break out at intervals along the upper margin of the later limestones, particularly if they are marly, and cut steep-sided torrent beds which widen seawards, and have formed alluvial coast deposits here and there.

La Civita in the Valley of the Sabato

In the upper valley of the river Sabato, eight kilometres above Serino, the mountains close in on either side and at the narrowest part an irregular rounded spur juts out on the east bank. The Sabato flows at its foot, and two torrent beds, cut through the neck of the land behind, almost isolate the hill from the main mountain range; a ring of grey stone walls rising from the edge of its steep sides encloses the level ground of its summit. The ruin, marked on the survey map by an arbitrary line, is there called Civita; in the neighbourhood, as well as in such notices of it as appear in books, it shares this name with the less vague one of Sabazia. My attention was drawn to the site by Commendatore Orilia, who had himself some time ago published upon it an article in which he argued against the correctness of the name Sabatia or Sabazia and put forward the suggestion that this might be Picentia, the chief town of the Picentini after the year 260 B.C.

Streifzüge an der Riviera

THE Riviera has of recent years become regarded as the playground of wealthy people whose only idea of enjoyment consists in spending hours in the unhealthy atmosphere of the casino at Monte Carlo, raising dust with a motor-car, dining at separate tables, or sitting in an hotel lounge. But such people see nothing of the real Riviera, with its wealth of wild flowers, its charming rock villages perched on heights, its olive, orange, and lemon groves, and its torrent beds up which one scrambles from rock to rock, passing a succession of pretty pictures each prettier than the previous one. On first reading Prof. Strasburger's book, the reviewer formed the impression that the descriptions were too prosaic and wanting in sunshine. It cannot be said that the author has succeeded in giving that warmth of colour to his account which characterises Mr. Casey's charming book. But since that impression was formed the present writer re-visited the Riviera, and the feature which he most noticed was how exactly every minute detail tallied with Prof. Strasburger's descriptions. The information contained in this book is just what is wanted to make a visit to the “Céte d'Azur” both enjoyable and instructive. Streifzüge an der Riviera. By Eduard Strasburger. Revised edition, with 87 coloured illustrations by Louise Reusch. Pp. xxvi + 480. (Jena: Gustav Fischer, 1904.) Price 10 marks.

Kos Astypalaia

From the modern town of Kos, on the site of the ancient capital at the north-east extremity of the island, to the village of Kephalos at the southwest end is a ride of eight hours.The village stands on a chalky plateau which beyond the isthmus marks the beginning of the mountain district of south-west Kos. This in turn is a repetition on a smaller scale of the mountain region, at the other end of the island, which forms the lofty termination to the long central tableland. The highest points of the mountain district are towards the south-east where the fall to the sea is very rapid. The highest neighbouring peak, Mount Ziní, is about an hour distant from the village in a south-easterly direction, while all that lies to the north-west of the main range is high pastoral country with many torrent beds.