296 Russian Vapor Bath. 
At first our modesty felt some alarm at our perfect nudity, and 
that of those around us; but I soon felt that it would be absolutely 
impossible to endure the contact of any sort of covering of our 
nakedness in a temperature so high; and consoled myself with the 
reflection, that it was no worse than the promiscuous bathing I had so 
often practised at the sea-baths of Liverpool; an exposure which, 
notwithstanding my passion for, bathing, was always disagreeable at 
the commencement of each season; but to which custom had soon 
rendered me indifferent. : 
The bath-room is about fifteen feet long by about as much in 
breadth. It is lined with wood, rendered quite black by constant 
immersion in hot steam. On two sides it has three tiers of benches, 
or rude couches, each of which is calculated to hold two persons, 
with their feet toward each other ; so that twelve persons might bathe 
at the same time. ‘The lowest bench projects farthest into the room; 
they rise two feet above each other; and each has a wooden pillow 
at the ends. ) 
- In one corner of the farther end of the apartment stands the fur- 
nace, which is supplied with fuel from without, and has a thin arch 
of fire-brick turned over the fire, against which the flame reverbe- 
rates, until the arch is red hot. Over this arch is built a small brick 
chamber, the only aperture to which is by a small door about two 
feet long, and fifteen inches wide, opening nearly to the Jevel of the 
To increase the heated surface, numerous small earthern jars, 
or broken pottery, are piled on the arch, and all are kept up toa low 
red heat. On these, a basin of water is occasionally dashed; and 
the clouds of steam which instantly issue from the door of the heat- 
ed chamber, form the source of heat employed to maintain the tem- 
perature of the bath. 
In the corner opposite to the furnace is a reservoir of cold water, 
tnto which, during our stay in the bath, the person who manages 
it, frequently plunged to cool his surface; a precaution not ua- 
necessary for an individual who is exposed daily eight hours, stark 
naked, to a temperature quite oppressive to the uninitiated. Yet this 
exposure and this alternation cannot be unhealthy ; for I never S47 
a more athletic man than this person, who informed me that he 3 
been constanly engaged in this occupation for sixteen or eighteen 
__ months. . 
The center of the ceiling of the bath-room is perforated by 9 
merous holes which allow a copious shower-bath of cold water 1 
