456 
BITUMEN. 
Maltha is of a blacker colour and of a thicker 
consistence than petroleum, becoming almost solid 
in cold weather. Besides the smell which is peculiar 
to bitumens in general, it possesses the other pro- 
perties of these inflammable substances, burning 
with abundance of flame and smoke, but leaving 
more residuum behind than either naphtha or pe- 
troleum : it is also heavier than those oils, though 
still light enough to float on water. From this de- 
scription it will readily be seen that maltha is a 
mere variety of the other two bitumens, scarcely 
deserving of another name. From their great resem- 
blance to each other, it is not at all surprising that 
they should frequently be confounded, since they 
are often met with in the same spot, and are used 
for similar purposes. 
This kind of bitumen, however, is more parti- 
cularly found near Clermont, in the department of 
Puy-de-Dome, in a place called Puy de la Pege y 
where it covers the ground with a viscous varnish, 
that adheres with great tenacity to the traveller’s 
feet. Maltha is also found in Persia, in the route, 
from Schiras to Bender-Congo. It is found in a 
mountain called Darap, where it is carefully col- 
lected, and carried to the king of Persia, as a sove- 
reign balsam for the cure of wounds. 
Maltha resembles soft pitch, and is used for 
the same purposes, such as paying the sides of 
boats, &e. 
Asphaltum is a similar bitumen in a more con- 
