148 DOMAIN IX. ANOMALOUS. 



mer being generally black, as at Sefeld, in 

 Tyrol. 



The grandest appearance of that nature is at 

 Baku, on the western side of the Caspian Sea ; 

 whence it is supposed that this substance was 

 brought to Constantinople, where it formed the 

 chief ingredient of the noted composition called 

 the Grecian lire; which, burning with increased 

 intensity under water, became a most formida- 

 ble instrument against an inimical fleet. From 

 the description given by Hanway, it would ap- 

 pear that the rock is limestone. His account of 

 this singular phenomenon deserves to be here 

 repeated. 

 Napthaof " The earth round this place, for above two 



Baku. 



miles, has this surprising property, that, by 

 taking up two or three inches of the surface, 

 and applying a live coal, the part which is so 

 uncovered immediately takes fire, almost before 

 the coal touches the earth : the flame makes the 

 soil hot, but does not consume it, nor affect 

 what is near it with any degree of heat. Any 

 quantity of this earth carried to another place, 

 does not produce this effect. Not long since, 

 eight horses were consumed by this fire, being 

 under a roof where the surface of the ground was 

 turned up, and by some accident took flame. 



