145 



lific. There arises- out of holes in the argillaceous and sand-stone soil, 

 a watery vapour smelling of naphtha, which, collected in pitchers, 

 is so richly impregnated with naphtha^ but still more with maltha, 

 that the inhabitants collect both, and use the latter as tar. The 

 earth hereabouts is all impregnated and black with maltha; on the 

 shore of the Volga, near Tetyuschy, and near Samarskoy, thick 

 naphtha oozes out of the stony stratum. On the mountain Irnek, 

 in the Kirghisian and Khivinschian frontiers, on the road to Orn- 

 burg, black petroleum flows. A lake on the Sagris, which falls into 

 the Emba, is covered for a finger thick with naphtha. On the 

 Sok ; on the Caspian, principally near Baiku ; in Taurida ; in the 

 district of Perikop, and on the isle of Taman, twenty versts south of 

 the town of that name ; also at Yenikaly and in the Kuban ; and 

 on the Baikal, in many places, bitumen is very abundant*. 



The petroleum springs of Mount Zibio, near to la Salsa de Sas~ 

 sucolo, in Modena, are, according to the account of the Abb6 Spal- 

 lanzani-f, highly worthy of notice. The pits, of which there are 

 two, are dug in a soft sand-stone, the petroleum flowing, with 

 water, from a narrow opening in the stone and falling into the 

 water at the bottom, is thence collected, as it swims on the top. 

 The quantity which has been for ages uniformly yielded in sum- 

 mer is nearly a pound daily ; but in winter little more than half the 

 quantity. The petroleum of one of these pits is of a dark yellow 

 colour, the pit is therefore called bagno nero ; but that of the other 

 is of a clear yellow, hence the pit is named bagno bianco. This pro- 

 duct of Mount Zibio had been noticed by Francis Ariosti, as early 

 as .the year 1460, in a manuscript, since published, and entitled, 

 Francisci Ariosti de Oleo Montis Zibinii, seu Petroleo Agri Mutinensi$. 



* View of the Russian Empire, by Mr. Wm. Tooke, vol. i. p. 249. 



f Voyages dans les deux Siciles, &c. par PAbb Lazare Spallanzani, torn. v. cap. 43. 

 The French translation is here referred to, not being in possession of the original, and 

 this latter* part of the work not having yet appeared in the English language. 



VOL. I. U 



