IN PERSIA. 
515 
Russian conquests to the south of the Caucasus, occupies a 
peninsula on the Caspian called Absheran. Its chief city is 
strongly fortified by nature and art, and derives great wealth 
from a trade in saffron, and the produce of its naphtha springs. 
These fountains of light and profit are even more productive 
than those of Kirkook, and like them are deemed inexhaustible. 
At a short distance from the springs, spreads the celebrated 
burning plain to a distance of nearly a mile. Here both the 
ancient and modern disciples of Zoroaster came in thousands to 
adore the eternal blaze, and to convey to their own hearths a 
portion of the sacred flame. The account given by Mr. M. 
Kinnier is so true an epitome of all information hitherto col¬ 
lected concerning this curious spot, that I cannot do better 
than repeat his own words: “ About seven wersts east of the 
naphtha springs,” he observes, “ the attention is arrested by the 
Attush Kudda, or Fire Temple of the Guebres, a remarkable 
spot, something less than a mile in circumference, from the 
centre of which a bluish flame is seen to arise. Here some small 
houses have been erected; and the inhabitants, in order to smother 
the flame, have covered the space inclosed within the walls by 
a thick loam of earth. When the fire is required for any culinary 
purpose, they have therefore only to make an incision in the 
floor, and on a light being applied to it the flame immediately 
arises ; which can as conveniently be repressed again by only 
closing the aperture. With the fire a sulphurous gas also issues; 
and a strong current of inflammable air invariably continues after 
the flame has been extinguished : leathern bottles are frequently 
filled with this gas. The whole country, indeed, around Bakou, 
has at times the appearance of being enveloped in flames. It 
often seems as if the fire rolled down from the mountains in 
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