jMlNKRALtr*
. .
Mineral Waters.
ds obknöWh J' the kind of jad -catted mother of emerald is. a. Siberian
produâ: : and, béryl or aqua marine is found in AdtmftioHo, but in
■ greater perfection in what 'are; called the-gem mines 'of Mourfintfity
near1 Cathêri-nburg, along with the chrylbl-ite.. Red garnets abound near
the fea of'Baikal ; and a yellowiffi white kind was difcovered by Lax-
man. The opal-is laid to nave- been found in the -Altaian mountains ;
probably only the femi-opal, the noble opal feèming peculiar tb Hungary.*
The ruby coloured fchorl was difco vered -in the Uralian mountains,
by Mr. Herman, at SârapouHky; about feven miles from Mour-
fintfky. It is called by ;Mr. Kirwan" the riibellite, being of a delicately
fibrous texture, and often when polifhed prefenting the varying fplen-
rJour of ruby coloured velvet:^ The baikalite of the fame author is of
an olive g’réen colour, and contains a fufficient quantity of mâgnefia to
be arranged in the muriatic clafs along with the peridot of the French,,
to which it feems. nearly allied. The green felfpar of Siberia is a beautiful
'ftohe, by the Ruffians carved into -various ornaments. TKn Dapu-
rian mountains between the Onon andtheArgoon alfo produce elegarjt
onyx. T^he feive Hone is-an agatized fungjtes.16 ThebefiUtiful-fiQoes
called the hair of Venus and Thetis, being limpid . roek cryfclsi jK^ij^in-
ing capillary fchorl, red'or green,: are found near Catherinburg. The
.alliance ftone confifts of a greyifh porphyry, united, , as if glued together,
with tranfparent quartz.
The beautiful red and green jafpers of Siberia are from the.molt distant
mountains, -as "already mentioned ; and 1 apisilazuli is.'found near
the Baikal. The Uralian chain alfo prefents fine white marble ; and in
- the numerous primitive ranges: there are many varieties of granite and
porphyry.
Mineral waters do not abound in 'Afiatic Ruffia. There is a fetid
fulphureous fpring near Sarepta, on the frontier of.Europe.and. Alia,
and. lèverai others' in Siberia. The baths on the Terek, towards., the
* The Siberian opals-are-only opalline -.rock cryfials. Guthrie, 54. A curious rock of agate
and clay, running as it,were -irito each'other, occurs near the river Ifétt. :.Dcc. .R; hr. 371.
•® Guthrie, ut fupra.
II Caucasus,
Caucafus, ■ are. of a middle temperature: and there are others in the
province of Neöfhafife. É among the Kalmuks to the fouth of .the Altai
in the country fomefimes fly led Soongaria ; and in the neighbourhood
iof the fea of Baikal: Vitriolic waters or chalybeates, thé four fprings of
the Germans, are found ji near1 Catherinburg, in the mid: of the iron
'mines ; nor- are they unknown in Daauria. Springs impregnated
with naphtha and petroleum| occur hear .the Cafpian and the
Baikal. ‘
But the chief mineral waters are thpfe j.n Kamchatka, as delcribed by
Leffeps. The not "baths of Natchikin, npt far from a volcano in thg
fouth of that penihfula, feem nd| 'tö have been traced to^'thëir foppee,
buf'tliey fall in a rapid cafcade about 300 ïeet above thé eatfisj beh4-
volently eredted by Mr. Kafloff, for .the benefit of the Kajnchadals^
the ftream being about a foot and a half deep, and fix brieven feet wide.
The water is extremely hot, and of a very penetrating, naturc, fe,emy.
ktg to contain vitriolic, and nitrous falts, with: ,calcareoi)p earth.,, Oh
the weft fide, of the gulph of Penjina is. a hqt fpring>wfiich falls
into the, Tavatona, being of a great fize andemitfing-douds of
fmoke.
The chief natural cö'riofiUes of Afiatic Ruffia have? already been incidentally
mentioned.* The fait lakes near the Cafpian, and that fea
itfelfi-may be regarded as Angular features of nature. Tke fubfisme
fcehès«afound the Baikal have been already dèfcribed.' Near thé’chter
©hoö whole mountains are fin fumnaer Ion ©tie fide Af a .Ji|ae colour,
from the bloÖfoms of the wild apricot-5 andl.on the other of a deep purple,
from thole of the Daöürim-ActóêShhffi'on:'7' The anSaelevds of
Siberia cohtraft with therfhidtfOTefts1 èn the Tbyth, width fometinaes
overhang the roads and rivers with a gloomy and difmal cauopy. The
numerous yblcanoes of Kamchatka are. alfo ftriking objeds:; but hQiie
of them appear to have been minutely explored, the fevemy of the
* Near Kunguc, on (tke 'European fide of the Ural mountains, are remarkable caverns,, faid to
■ xtend for .ten-vevfts; .®ec.:'R.'ïv. 407.
17 Dec. Ruf. v. 470..
Mikerju,
Waters.
Natural Cu'
riofities, «
climate