ESTHONI AN BATHSt 377 



| The benches or fhelves are in the form of a fcaffold, 

 the uppermoft flage of which is not more than a yard 

 and a half from the top of the place, fo that one can- 

 not ftand, but mull: lie down upon it. This fcaffold 

 reaches from one wall to the other, and is divided 

 into a greater or fmaller number of compartments by 

 partition boards. The depth inwards, towards the 

 hinder wall, of each ftage is about three feet, or 

 enough for a perfon to lie and turn upon at eafe. In 

 thefe compartments or flails frefh frraw, or a mat, is 

 laid, and covered with a fheet for the convenience of 

 the bather. 



• The bathing- room thus prepared is ftrongly heated. 

 In winter I know that it is begun to be heated eight or 

 ten hours before it is wanted for ufe. The degree of 

 cold in thefe parts of the world, and the thicknefs of 

 the oven, make this neceflary. One of our pottery 

 ovens would not ftand this degree of fire, but would 

 burft. When the oven is glowing hot, water is thrown 

 on it, from time to time, that a vapour may be pro- 

 duced to fill the room. Where the oven has no chim- 

 ney, the water is thrown on the flints. This procefs 

 is repeated for hours together. By the humid vapour 

 thus raifed^ fo thick a cloud of dew enfues, that the 

 people within cannot fee one another, The hot moiflure 

 extends to,, every part of the room; and, if one is not 

 .quite naked in going in, the cloaths are in a few mi- 

 nutes wet through and through, as if they had been 

 foaked in hot water, The boarded cieling, the walls, 

 and generally the windows, are conflantly dripping 

 with water. And yet the attendants do not ceafe from 



cafting 



