IP
Mineral Waters
»
Natural Cu.
riofities.
g T E 'R'S 1,A.
Thus’ flie high.-mountains ofc’Bclur Tag, and perhaps-Hindoo Koh,
are thepeculiar featSof the'Baky ruby; a oifcumftanfo which identifies
the Balafeia of Eek>; while hEs- Belur is the whole Alpine t o d of the
- :lGhar4iBL_adls)that -falphur and nitre are- founds in the mountain-of
D emavendv which- - he places ren. the':feath-öf; Hyrcania or'Mazendraft.
Sometimes whole deferts are covered with fulpbuivand o&etswifch fait,
which near Cafhan «'remarkably pure._ Rock fait is found nearrifpa-
hau : and intbedryefimate of Kerman', if our author be credited, it is
even; employed in- building. Free ftone, marble, 'and flate, are chiefly
from Hamadan. Near Tauriz is found what he calls a tnarble^tranfjla-
x£nt, like reck cryftal»r through tables of an inch in thickdef§pbf-a white
colour mingled with pale green, probably a kind« of jad: in ‘the-fame
region is aHo found lapis lazuli, butTTot fo fine as thatfofTatary, Towards
the Tigris there are pools of bitumen, or. refojtar, while .naphtha
abounds near Baku! In Erivan-and Fars'are mihfl&)of talc ; and of a
pure white marl ufed like Toap, What is called mimniiif'ïi found in
Corafan, and in the déferts of Kerman; deriving its name-frotri the Per-
fian-word mourn, fignifying wax, gum, ointment., g It was fuppofed to
proceed from the .human body ; but according to Chardin' is a Angular
gum whichdiftilsTrom rocks; and the mines of this' precioÜ£ maftic, „as
he calls it, are carefully feaied for the royal ufe." It is probably -a kind
of afphakum j but feems a-, variety which has efcaped .moderirmpae-
ralogifts.
Mineral waters of various; deferiptions abound in this moiuat&iijous
country; but they are generally alike negle&ed by the phyficiansfoid
the people.
Among th é 'chief natural curiofities mu ft be named the fountains of
naphtha, or pure rock oil, in the neighbourhood of Baku, on the weftern
coaft o f foe Gafpian, particularly in the adjoining promontory of Ab-
flveron. The-adjoining land is dry and rocky, and there are feveral
finall ancient temples, in one of which, near the altar, a large' hollow
cane is fixed in the ground, and from the end iffues a blue flame, feem-
mgly more pure and gentle than that produced by ardent fpirit*.“
** Han way, i, 263.
From
CHAP. IV.: N AT UR AX GEOGRAPHY. 3 6 7
From a hbrizontabgapi'fn an adjfom;ng.io£k, about fix feet long by three
broad,J.th©rej at fimilarlflaine. j
“ -The- earthy mund 'thisfokdepfps.'above' two miles, has-this furpriza
ihg property, that, by taking -upJtweXrt three inchestp£: the fur-face, and
applying ja- live) coaly the-'pirf -whiabu'is -fo, hncoyered1 immediately takes
&&,, almoft.beforbfoe-- opal, touches the,earth : the flame makes the foil
hofobp# dbes -norGcpfome it,,-nor affefit'whatds; near it with.-any', degree
of heat,: - Any »quantity of this earth 'carried, to another place does not
produce this efie<Tfo.Nbt lqugifiltc&tcighjtihoFfesf^ere/epnfumedhyjthis
fire, being under a<ro,of wfiere,t-he forfacQfo;foe|g£pua|ligij&itilled,up,
and b$vfpafo,accidfent task flame,, .
-TV, If a cane .or-tiijbe,, eyen^q| paper,foe fotjfopiffowQ- inche&pnjthe
grpynd,, jconfinefo^nchclofe. with the eafoh bdowy[ and-the, ftpp tfcjfo it
touched with a live noalj andfolcfwp. upon, immediately-aj.flame.jffu^s;
without hurting either the cane or paper,.q^pvjydefothe edgp%bef|oyered
with cky^ and this method foey.foe fofoight dp »their hofoes,, wlfoh
haye .only thp earth, for fop, flqon three,,, or four? of thefe Jightpd canes
wilt bpil »water i%a,pot, ipid.fous they dtefe .their ,yi^al^..Jf,Th£ flame
may he extinguiftled in foe .fame -manner as .that jof ^lrit^tpfomne.-
The ground is dry. and ftony, and the. more ftony. any particular part is;
the ftronger and clearer is the-flame f it fmells fulphurousiike naptha,
but not very pflenfive.
“ Ximp fa lyurnt to great pprfe£tfonr by means- of- this, pheppmpppn •
the .flame comnyqidcating»itfelf to any diftance where the earth is uncovered
tb. receive it, The fto|ies-(mnft be laid,on one another,taad in
three1 days the lime..is completed. Near this place briinftone,i_s,dug, jj
and; naptha fprings are found. ■!,
“ The chief place for the black or dark gi;ey naptha is’the fmall ifland '
nlav uninhabited, except sat fuch times a&flhgyjtake tiapfoaTrqm i
thence. The Perfians-load it in bulk in their wretc-hecj^ veflels,
-%fl^¥bes the fea is covered with 4X_forJ.eagyes toget|te|.' ' When foe
;yyeafo|^r|s»;foiclipj and'}hazyfoe fprings .boil ypfoe.foigher; and the nap- 3
foa pften^tak.es fire on .foe furface. oj fop esqfo,. andiruna in a flame into *
the fea in great quantities, fo a diftance- ajfooft refobje.,,, I-n ,-plear •'
■weather the fprings do not boil up above two or-three'feet: in boiling *
Natu ril
CURIOSI-
T1SS.;- -
over,