Page:History of Greece Vol IV.djvu/28

10 HISTORY OF GREECE. cultivation, the plain of Tettovo, or Kalkandele (northernmost of the three), which contains the sources and early course of the Axius, or Vardar, that of Bitolia, coinciding to a great degree with the ancient Pelagonia, wherein the Erigon flows towards the Axius, and the larger and more undulating basin of Greveno and Anaselitzas, containing the upper Haliakmon with its con- fluent streams. This latter region is separated from the basin of Thessaly by a mountainous line of considerable length, but pre- senting numerous easy passes. 1 Reckoning the basin of Thes- saly as a fourth, here are four distinct inclosed plains on the east side of this long range of Skardus and Pindus, each generally bounded by mountains which rise precipitously to an alpine height, and each leaving only one cleft for drainage by a single river, the Axius, the Erigon, the Haliakrnon, and the Peneius respectively. All four, moreover, though of high level above the sea, are yet for the most part of distinguished fertility, espe- cially the plains of Tettovo, of Bitolia, and Thessaly. The fat, rich land to the east of Pindus and Skardus is described as form- ing a marked contrast with the light calcareous soil of the Alba- nian plains and valleys on the western side. The basins of Bitolia and of the Haliakmon, with the mountains around and adjoining, were possessed by the original Macedonians ; that of Tettovo, on the north, by a portion of the Paeonians. Among the four, Thessaly is the most spacious ; yet the two comprised in the primitive seats of the Macedonians, both of them very consider- able in magnitude, formed a territory better calculated to nourish and to generate a considerable population, than the less favored home, and smaller breadth of valley and plain, occupied by Epirots or Illyrians. Abundance of corn easily raided, of pasture for cattle, and of new fertile land open to cultivation, would suffice to increase the numbers of hardy villagers, indifferent to luxury as well as to accumulation, and exempt from that oppres- sive extortion of rulers which now harasses the same fine regions. 2 1 Boud, Voyage en Turquie, vol. i, p. 199: "Un bon nombrc de cols diriges du nord au sud, comme pour inviter les habitans do passer d'une dl tea provinces dans 1'autrc." 1 For th<} general physical character of the region, both e st and west of