140 PLnrr's natueal histoet. [Book II. 



Belis, the mountain Chimsera bums, and indeed with a con- 

 tinual flame, day and night^ . Ctesias of Cnidos informs us, 

 that this lire is kindled by water, while it is extinguished 

 by earth and by hay^. In the same country of Lycia, the 

 mountains of Hephsestius, when touched with a flaming 

 torch ^, burn so violently, that even the stones in the river 

 and the sand burn, while actually in the water : this fire is 

 also increased by rain. If a person makes furrows in the 

 ground with a stick which has been kindled at this fire, it 

 is said that a stream of flame will follow it. The summit of 

 Cophantus, in Bactria*, bums during the night ; and this is 

 the case in Media and at Sittacene", on the borders of Per- 

 sia ; likewise in Susa, at the White Tower, from fifteen aper- 

 tures ^ the greatest of which also burns in the daytime. 

 The plain of Babylon throws up flame from a place like a fish- 

 pond^ an acre in extent. Near Hesperium, a mountain of 

 the Ethiopians' the fields shine in the night-time like stars ; 

 the same thing takes place in the territory of the Megalopo- 



that the number of extinct volcanos is considerably greater than those 

 now in action. 



^ Chimsera was a volcano in Lycia, not far from the Xanthus ; the 

 circumstance of its sunmiit emitting flame, while its sides were the resort 

 of various savage animals, probably gave rise to the fabulous story of the 

 Centaur of this name, a ferocious monster who was continually vomiting 

 forth flame. 



^ The word ia the text is " foenum " ; Hardouin suggests that the 

 meaning of the author may have been litter, or the refuse of stables. 

 Lemaire, i. 454. 



3 The emission of a gas, wliich may be kindled by the apphcation of 

 flame, is a phsenomenon of no very rare occurrence ; but the effects are, 

 no doubt, much exaggerated. See the remarks of Alexandre in Lemaire, 

 i. 454. 



4 The country of the Bactrians was a district to the S.E. of the Caspian 

 Sea, and to the north of the sources of the Indus, nearly corresponding 

 to the modem Bucharia. 



* There would appear to be some uncertainty as to the locaUty of this 

 place : om- author derived his statement from the writer of the treatise 

 de Mirab. Auscult. 



^ " Caminis." 



7 Probably the crater of a former volcano. 



8 This moimtain, as weU as the Qeibv oxrjixa, mentioned below, has 

 been supposed to be situated on the west of Africa, near Sierra Leone, or 

 Cape Verd ; but, as I conceive, without sufficient authority. See Alex- 

 audi'e in Lemaire, i. 455. 



