BOOK 11. cvi. 233-cix. 235 



the water more easily than full ones ; that rain water 

 is more useful than other water for salt-works, and 

 that fresh water has to be mixed with sea water for 

 the salt to be deposited ; that sea water freezes 

 more slowly, and boils more quickly ; that the sea 

 is warmer in winter and salter in autumn ; that all 

 sea water is made smooth by oil, and so divers 

 sprinkle oil from their mouth because it calms the 

 rough element and carries Hght down with them ; that 

 on the high sea no snow falls ; that though all water 

 travels downward, springs leap upwards, and springs 

 rise even at the roots of Etna, which is so hot that it 

 belches out sands in a ball of flame over a space of 

 50 to 100 miles at a time. CVII. (For we must also 

 report some marvels connected with fire, the fourth 

 element of nature,but first those arising from water.) 



CVIII. In Samosata the capital of Commagene " ^{^'Jf "' 

 there is a marsh that produces an inflammable mud 

 called mineral pitch. When this touches an)i;hing 

 soUd it sticks to it ; also when people touch it, it 

 actually follows them as they try to get away from it. 

 By these means they defended the city walls when 

 attacked ^ by Lucullus : the troops kept getting burnt 

 by their own weapons. Water merely makes it burn 

 more fiercely ; experiments have sho^vn that it can 

 only be put out by earth. 



CIX. Naphtha is of a similar nature — this is the Naphtha. 

 name of a substance that flows outhke Uquid bitumen 

 in the neighbourhood of Babylon and the parts of 

 Parthia near Astacus. Naphtha has a close affinity 

 with fire, which leaps to it at once Avhen it sees it in 

 any direction. This is how Medea in the legend 

 burnt her rival, whose wreath caught fire after she 

 had gone up to the altar to offer sacrifice. 



361 



