34)6 Mr Forbes's Physical Notices of the Bay of Naples. 



it can hardly be doubted that, now at least, it does not there 

 exist. 



Ischia is more celebrated for nothing than its hot baths, 

 which are much esteemed by native physicians, as are also 

 those steam-baths technically called '* Stufe" or stoves^ which 

 here abound. Italian authors dwell with peculiar satisfaction 

 on these topics, which are, I must say, peculiarly dull to most 

 readers ; I shall therefore pass over the mere descriptive part 

 with more than usual brevity. Most of the mineral waters 

 evolve carbonic acid, and some of them sulphuretted hydrogen. 

 The mineral contents have not, so far as I know, been accu- 

 rately stated, but the following are nearly the proportions in 

 one of the most remarkable springs, to which I shall chiefly 

 confine my remarks, the Gurgitello near Casamicciola. Its 

 solid contents are to the water as 1 : 221.5, or about a-half 

 per cent.* They are approximately composed of 

 Muriate of Soda - - 77 



Muriate of Lime - - i5 



Sulphate of Lime - 5 



Sulphate of Alumina - 3 



100 



This spring flows from the bed of clay described above un- 

 der the name of Creta, and from it the water appears to derive 

 its solid ingredients. The temperature of this spring, as given 

 by Siano and Andria, is 50° R. = 144| Fahr. ; by Breislak 

 46° R. z= 135| F. I observed it on the 28th of March 1827, 

 to be 149° F. and a smaller stream running neglected from the 

 alluvial matter at a considerable distance and nearer the moun- 

 tain 144.5. This is by no means the warmest spring in Ischia. 

 Siano assures us, that in one, named Le Petrelle, the thermo- 

 meter rises to the boiling point. Another is mentioned by Ha- 

 milton, as having a temperature of 70° R. = 189 J F. Others 

 occur of a variety of lower temperatures, and they are distri- 

 buted along the base of Monte Epomeo at considerable dis- 

 tances, and in various parts of the island. All these are strik- 

 ing proofs of the preeminence which Ischia holds among par- 

 tially extinct volcanic districts, in its vicinity to sources of in- 

 ■ * Andria. 



