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 j 

 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 level of the 

 arch. To increase the heated surface, numerous small earthern jars, 

 or broken pottery, are piled on the arch, and all are kept up to a 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, 

 into which, during our stay in the bath, the person who manages 

 it, frequently plunged to cool his surface ; a precaution not un- 

 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 saw 

 a more athletic man than this person, who informed me that he had 

 been constanly engaged in this occupation for sixteen or eighteen 

 months. 



The center of the ceiling of the bath-room is perforated by nu- 

 merous holes which allow a copious shower-bath of cold water to 



