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and you may depend on receiving from me all the 
Accounts they (hall pleafe to fend. 
In the mean while, as the Natural Hiftory of 
Ferjia is but little known, and the Authors of the 
Univerfal Hiftory have given no true Account of 
the everlajiing facred Fire which the Gauers wor- 
fhip, I lhall now fend you a Defcription thereof, 
which you may depend upon, as there was a Ruffian 
Army for fome Years in the Kingdom of Dagejtan y 
where that Fire is ; and I took down what I am 
going to relate from the Mouths and Journals of 
many Officers that were there, and more particu- 
larly from what was communicated to me by Ar - 
chiater Fifcher , who received an Account thereof 
from Dr. Lerch, Phyfician of that Army. 
This perpetual Fire rifes out of the Ground in 
the Peninfula of Abfcheron, about twenty Miles 
from Baku , and 3 Miles from the Cafpian Shore. 
The Ground is very rocky, but has a (hallow Cover- 
ing of Earth over it. If a little of the Surface be 
fcraped off, and Fire be applied to the Hollow, it 
catches immediately, and burns without Intermif- 
fton, and almoft without Confumptionj nor is ever 
extinguifhed, unlefs fome cold Earth be thrown 
over it, by which it is cafily put out. 
There is a Spot of Ground, about two Englijh 
Miles large, which has this very wonderful Pro- 
perty j and here is a Caravanfary, round which are 
many Places where the Earth continually burns 5 but 
the mod remarkable is a Hole about 4 Feet deep, and 
14 Feet in Diameter. In this Caravanfary live ia 
Indian Friejis , and other 'Devotees , who worfhip 
the Fire, which, according to their Traditions, has 
burnt 
