the ruins of this superb palace and its baths, represents his emotions on the first view, as if he were "on a sudden transported into fairy land," and that this assemblage of edifices appeared to realize the fanciful and fascinating scenes, faintly delineated in the Tales of the Genii, and the Arabian Nights.* The baths of the Russians are constructed in a style of great simplicity comporting with the original purpose of such contrivances. They are generally situate on the bank of a running stream, and consist of a mean wooden house, or where wood may be scarce, a cavern excavated in the earth by the side of a river. The bathing room has three or four benches placed one above another, and contains a large vaulted oven, which is heated to such a degree as renders the paving stones placed upon it red hot; but for the purpose of boiling the water a large iron vessel is fixed in brickwork contiguous to the oven. A few apertures are formed in different parts of the roof in order that the vapour may escape; and the cold water flows in by small channels. To some of the baths a kind of anti-chamber is constructed for the purpose of undressing and dressing; but this convenience very seldom belongs to them, and they usually take off their clothes in a court which has a boarded fence, with a number of benches. These accommodations commonly belong to the government, and are under the superintendence of the police. The heat of these bathing rooms averages from 100 to 120 degrees of Fahrenheit's thermometer, and this is often much augmented by throwing water Swinburne's Travels in Spain; but the most minute and accurate description of the palace and baths at Alhambra, has been given by Mr. Murphy, an architect, who in 1815 published a very splendid work in large folio, containing numerous elegant engravings, which represent the different structures and apartments, with the elevations, plans, and dimensions of each. every few minutes upon the red hot stones of the oven. Though the baths in the palaces of the nobles may be more elegant, and have some other conveniences, yet their construction is equally simple. Among the lower order of Russians hot baths are not only very common, but in general are deemed preferable to medicines, which they seldom take, conceiving that a sweating bath is a much more efficacious remedy for disease. Indeed their prepossessions in favour of baths, show that they do not consider such conveniences as luxuries merely, but as indispensable necessaries of life: hence, they are frequented by people of both sexes, and all ages, whatever may be their condition, and whether in a state of sickness or health, fatigued by hard labour, or a long journey. In those countries which abound in certain kinds of minerals, and where hot springs are common, the inhabitants render them subservient to their pleasures, and seem to luxuriate in the enjoyment of warm baths. At Buda, and other places in Hungary, such baths are represented to be actually crowded with men, women, and children of various conditions, indiscriminately bathing together, and therefore presenting a spectacle, at once curious, singular, and amusing. Townson has given a humorous description of the scene, but he enumerates some circumstances, which have a tendency to excite unpleasant emotions in a delicate mind.† Universal as may be the use of baths in the countries inhabited by the followers of Mahomet, and extensive as is the practice in some others, to how limited an extent • View of the Russian Empire, by the Rev. W. Tooke, who once told the writer, that the disease commonly called in England -"a cold"—was unknown in Russia! + Travels in Hungary. has this healthful and cleanly custom prevailed in Great Britain, so distinguished for its refinements and improvements in the useful arts? Indeed, how few are the conveniences properly adapted for such enjoyments! Even its great metropolis scarcely furnishes, a bath that would afford a gratification to an expert swimmer! The floating baths on the Thames, like those on the Seine, are too circumscribed in their dimensions, for such a purpose; and are trivial in comparison with the capacious basins that formed a part of the magnificent baths of ancient Rome. It is remarkable that, almost infinitely diversified as have been the projects, characterizing different eras of speculation, excepting the propositions of the New River Company and Mr. Martin, not one scheme has appeared, having as its professed object, the constructing of noble baths for public and private accommodation, in the vicinity of London, or other large towns. As an exception to this assertion, perhaps the baths at Birmingham may be mentioned; and those were constructed at the expense of an opulent private individual with a view to profit, by furnishing a great convenience to the public. They comprise hot and cold baths, with a room for sweating; and that for swimming has a length of 108 feet by a breadth of 54. The latter is placed in the centre of a garden, with twenty-four undressing-rooms attached; and the whole is surrounded by a wall ten feet high. The water flows constantly into it from a very fertile spring, called Lady Well, so that it is always clear and cool, without ever being defectively supplied. Those who frequent these baths have the choice of paying either an annual or quarterly subscription, or a very moderate sum, each time, for using them. In the latter part of the last century very convenient public baths were constructed at Florence, with every convenience for general accommodation; and at Paris baths are numerous, and adapted to all classes, and each sex-there is also a school for swimming. CHAPTER XIII. Constantinople,-its fine Situation; but naturally defective in Springs, &c. Contrivances for Supplying it with Water. Hydraulia: Rigorous Edicts to preserve the Conduits from injury. Source of the Water; Mode of Constructing Reservoirs. Sou-terazi. Fountains. Aqueducts; Peculiarities in their Construction. Subterraneous Cisterns. Philoxenon. Bagnios;-that of Zeuxippus. Mahomet II.: his Fountain and Bath. Caravanseras. Bathing generally a favourite enjoyment of the Turks. Public Baths numerous in Constantinople. Water-works confided to a particular class of men. Practice of persons who sell Water. Alarm about a deficiency; Indications of the approach of Rain the same as in Syria. Present Sultan disposed to encourage improve ments. THE means devised for conveying abundance of water to ancient Rome excite admiration; but the Romans also directed their efforts to afford similar advantages to other cities and countries subjected to their domination. Amongst the remarkable structures for this purpose may be enumerated the aqueducts and cisterns constructed to benefit Constantinople, after it became the capital of the lower empire. These extensive and stupendous works demonstrate the magnitude of their conceptions, and the earnestness of their exertions to accomplish an object of the highest importance to the health, necessities and conveniences of the inhabitants. |