(in the Itineraries *Aetna*, supposed from *aetna*, to burn; according to Bochart, from *Athuna*, a furnace, or *Aetuna*, darkness), now Monti Gibello; a volcano or burning mountain of Sicily, situated in lat. 38° N. long. 15° E.

This mountain, famous from the remotest antiquity, both for its bulk and terrible eruptions, stands in the eastern part of the island, in a very extensive plain, called *Val Demont*, from the notion of its being inhabited by devils, who torment the spirits of the damned in the bowels of this volcano.

Concerning the dimensions of mount Aetna, we can scarce extract any thing consistent, even from the accounts of the latest and most ingenious travellers. Pindar, who lived about 435 years before Christ, calls it the Pillar of heaven, on account of its great height. All modern writers likewise agree, that this mountain is very high, and very large; but differ excessively both as to its height and magnitude: some making it no less than twelve miles high, others eight, others six, some four, while Mr Brydone, and Sir William Hamilton, who lately ascended to its highest summit, reduce its height to little more than two miles; nay, by some, it is reduced to 10,026 feet, somewhat less than two miles. No less remarkable are the differences concerning its circumference: some making it only 60 miles round, others 100; and Signor Recupero, from whom Mr Brydone had his information in this respect, affirms it to be no less than 183 miles in circuit.

We are sorry to detract from the merit of Mr Brydone, or to involve in obscurity what he hath been at so much pains to elucidate; but every person who compares the account of mount Aetna's circumference, given by Signor Recupero, and to which Mr Brydone seems to have assented, with its apparent circumference on the map prefixed to that gentleman's tour through Sicily and Malta, must at once be struck with the prodigious disparity. Indeed, it is plain, that, in the map, the geographer hath not left room for any such mountain; nor can we help thinking, that, by comparing the distances of some of the Sicilian towns from one another, Signor Recupero's dimensions will be found enormously exaggerated.—Certain it is, that there the geographer hath placed Catania, which stands at the foot of mount Aetna, on one side, no more than 28 miles from the most distant point of the river Alcantara, which forms the boundary on the opposite side; so that a circle, whose radius is 14 or 15 miles, must encompass as much space as we can possibly think is occupied by by the basis of mount Etna. Thus we will reduce the circumference of this famous mountain to between 80 and 90 miles; and even when we do so, it must still be acknowledged to be very great.

But if we are embarrassed with the circumference of Etna, we are much more so with the accounts relating to its height; and one circumstance, particularly, creates almost insurmountable difficulties. It is agreed upon by all travellers, and among the rest by Sir William Hamilton, that from Catania, where the ascent first begins, to the summit, is not less than 30 miles. The descent on the other side we have no account of; but, whatever supposition we make, the height of the mountain must be prodigious. If we suppose it likewise to be 30 miles, and that mount Etna can be represented by an equilateral triangle, each of whose sides is 30 miles, we will have an amazing elevation indeed, no less than 26 miles perpendicular!—Such a height being beyond all credibility, we must contract the sides of our triangle, in proportion to its basis. We shall begin with allowing 10 miles for the difference between a straight line from Catania to the summit, and the length of the road, occasioned by the inequalities of the mountain; and supposing the descent on the other side to be somewhat shorter, we may call it 15 miles. Mount Etna will now be represented by a scalene triangle, whose base is 30 miles, its longest side 20, and its shortest 15; from which proportions we will still find its height to be betwixt eight and nine miles.—This is still incredible; and when all the various relations concerning the height of Etna are compared, we hope it will not be thought presumptuous in us to give it as our opinion, that the true dimensions of this mountain are as yet unknown.

Concerning the products and general appearance of this volcano, authors are much better agreed.—The journey from Catania to its summit has been lately described by three travellers, M. D'Orville, Mr Brydone, and Sir William Hamilton. All these agree, that this single mountain affords an epitome of the different climates throughout the whole world: towards the foot, it is very hot; farther up, more temperate; and grows gradually more and more cold the higher we ascend. At the very top, it is perpetually covered with snow: from thence the whole island is supplied with that article, so necessary in a hot climate, and without which the natives say Sicily could not be inhabited. So great is the demand for this commodity, that the bishop's revenues, which are considerable, arise from the sale of mount Etna's snow; and he is said to draw 1000l. a-year from one small portion lying on the north side of the mountain. Great quantities of snow and ice are likewise exported to Malta and Italy, making a considerable branch of commerce. On the north side of this snowy region, Mr Brydone was assured, that there are several small lakes which never thaw; and that the snow mixed with the ashes and salts of the mountain are accumulated to a vast depth. The quantity of salts contained in this mountain, he, with great probability, conjectures to be one reason of the preservation of its snows; for salt increases the coldness of snow to a surprising degree.*

In the middle of the snowy region stands the great crater, or mouth of Etna; from which, though contrary to the usual method of travellers, we shall begin our particular account of this mountain. Sir William

* See Cold and Congelation.

Hamilton describes the crater as a little mountain, about a quarter of a mile perpendicular, and very steep, situated in the middle of a gently inclining plain, of about nine miles in circumference. It is entirely formed of stones and ashes; and, as Mr Hamilton was informed by several people of Catania, had been thrown up about 25 or 30 years before the time (1769) he visited mount Etna. Before this mountain was thrown up, there was only a prodigious large chasm, or gulph, in the middle of the above-mentioned plain; and it has been remarked, that about once in 100 years the top of Etna falls in; which undoubtedly must be the case at certain periods, or the mountain behaved continually to increase in height. As this little mountain, though emitting smoke from every pore, appeared solid and firm, Mr Hamilton and his companions went up to the very top. In the middle is a hollow, about two miles and a half in circumference, according to Mr Hamilton; three miles and a half, according to Mr Brydone; and three or four, according to Mr D'Orville. The inside is crusted over with salts and sulphur of different colours. It goes shelving down, from the top, like an inverted cone; the depth, in Mr Hamilton's opinion, nearly corresponding to the height of the little mountain. From many places of this space issue volumes of sulphureous smoke, which being much heavier than the circumambient air, instead of ascending in it, roll down the side of the mountain, till, coming to a more dense atmosphere, it shoots off horizontally, and forms a large tract in the air, according to the direction of the wind; which, happily for our travellers, carried it exactly to the side opposite to which they were placed. In the middle of this funnel is the tremendous and unfathomable gulph, so much celebrated in all ages, both as the terror of this life, and the place of punishment in the next. From this gulph continually issue terrible and confused noises, which in eruptions are increased to such a degree as to be heard at a prodigious distance. Its diameter is probably very different at different times: for Mr Hamilton observed, by the wind clearing away the smoke from time to time, that the inverted hollow cone was contracted almost to a point; while Mr D'Orville and Mr Brydone found the opening very large. Both Mr Brydone and Mr Hamilton found the crater too hot to descend into it; but Mr D'Orville was bolder: and accordingly he and his fellow-traveller, fastened to ropes which two or three men held at a distance for fear of accidents, descended as near as possible to the brink of the gulph; but the small flames and smoke which issued from it on every side, and a greenish sulphur and pumice-stones, quite black, which covered the margin, would not permit them to come so near as to have a full view. They only saw distinctly in the middle, a mass of matter which rose, in the shape of a cone, to the height of above 60 feet, and which towards the base, as far as their sight could reach, might be 600 or 800. While they were observing this subsidence, some motion was perceived on the north side, opposite to that wherein they stood; and immediately the mountain began to send forth smoke and ashes. This eruption was preceded by a sensible increase of its internal roarings; which, however, did not continue; but after a moment's dilatation, as if to give it vent, the volcano resumed its former tranquillity; but as it was by no means proper to make a long stay in such a place, our travellers immediately returned to their attendants.

On the summit of mount Etna, Mr Hamilton observes that he was sensible of a difficulty in respiration from the too great subtilty of the air, independent of what arose from the sulphureous smoke of the mountain. Mr Brydone takes no notice of this; which probably arose from the air being in a more rarefied state at the time of Mr Hamilton's observation, than of Mr Brydone's; the barometer, as observed by the former, standing at 18 inches and 10 lines, by the latter at 19 inches 6½ lines.

In these high regions there is generally a very violent wind, which, as all our travellers found it constantly blowing from the south, may possibly be commonly directed from that point. Here Mr Brydone's thermometer fell to 27°.

The top of Etna being above the common region of vapours, the heavens appear with exceeding great splendor.—Mr Brydone and his company observed, as they ascended in the night, that the number of flares seemed to be infinitely increased, and the light of each of them appeared brighter than usual; the whiteness of the milky way was like a pure flame which shot across the heavens; and, with the naked eye, they could observe clusters of flares that were invisible from below. Had Jupiter been visible, he is of opinion that some of his satellites might have been discovered with the naked eye, or at least with a very small pocket-glass. He likewise took notice of several of those meteors called falling flares; which appeared as much elevated as when viewed from the plain: a proof, according to Mr Brydone, that "these bodies move in regions much beyond the bounds that some philosophers have assigned to our atmosphere."

To have a full and clear prospect from the summit of mount Etna, it is necessary to be there before sunrise; as the vapors raised by the sun, in the daytime, will obscure every object: accordingly, our travellers took care to arrive there early enough; and all agree, that the beauty of the prospect from thence cannot be expressed.—Here Mr Brydone and Mr Hamilton had a view of Calabria in Italy, with the sea beyond it; the Lipari islands, and Stromboli a volcano at about 70 miles distance, appeared just under their feet; the whole island of Sicily, with its rivers, towns, harbours, &c. appeared distinct, as if seen on a map. Massa, a Sicilian author, affirms, that the African coast as well that of Naples, with many of its islands, have been discovered from the top of Etna. The visible horizon here, is not less than 8 or 900 miles in diameter. The pyramidal shadow of the mountain reaches across the whole island, and far into the sea on the other side, forming a visible tract in the air, which, as the sun rises above the horizon, is shortened, and at last confined to the neighbourhood of Etna. The most beautiful part of the scene, however, in Mr Brydone's opinion, is the mountain itself, the island of Sicily, and the numerous islands lying round it. These last seem to be close to the skirts of Etna; the distances appearing reduced to nothing.

This mountain is divided into three zones, which might properly enough be distinguished by the names of terrid, temperate, and frigid; they are, however, known by the names of the Piedmontese, or Regione culta, the cultivated, or fertile region; the Sylcova, woody, or temperate zone; and the Regione deserta, the frigid, or desert zone, or region. All these are plainly distinguished from the summit. The Regione deserta is marked out by a circle of snow and ice, which extends on all sides to the distance of about eight miles, beginning at the foot of the crater. Greatest part of this region is smooth and even. This is immediately succeeded by the Sylcova, or woody region; which forms a circle of the most beautiful green, surrounding the mountain on all sides. This region is variegated with a vast number of mountains of a conical form, thrown up by Etna in those eruptions which burst out from its sides. Mr Hamilton counted 44 on the Catania side, each having its crater, many with large trees flourishing both within and without the crater. All these, except a few of late date, have acquired a wonderful degree of fertility. The circumference of this zone, or great circle, according to Recupero, is not less than 70 or 80 miles. It is everywhere succeeded by the Regione culta; which is much broader than the rest, and extends on all sides to the foot of the mountain. Here terrible devastations are sometimes committed by the eruptions; and the whole region is likewise full of conical mountains thrown up by them. The circumference of this region, is, by Recupero, reckoned 183 miles; but we have already given our reasons for rejecting these dimensions.—This region is bounded by the sea to the south and southeast; and on all other sides, by the rivers Semetus and Alcantara, which form the boundaries of mount Etna.

About a mile below the foot of the great crater, are found the ruins of an ancient structure, called Il Torre del Filosofo, by some supposed to have been built by the philosopher Empedocles, who took up his habitation here, the better to study the nature of mount Etna. By others they are supposed to be ruins of a temple of Vulcan. They are of brick, and seem to have been ornamented with marble. Somewhere in this region also, Mr D'Orville found a great oblong block of polished marble, eight or ten feet high, and three or four thick; though how it came there, was quite unaccountable to him. From Mr D'Orville's and Mr Brydone's accounts, we must reckon this part of the mountain pretty steep; but Mr Hamilton says, that the ascent was so gradual, as not to be in the least fatiguing; and had it not been for the snows, they might have rode on their mules to the very foot of the crater.

The woody region descends eight or nine miles below the Regione deserta, but differs greatly in the temperature of its climate. Mr Hamilton observed a gradual decrease of the vegetation as he advanced; the under part being covered with large timber trees, which grew gradually less as he approached the third region, at last they degenerated into the small plants of the northern climates. He also observed quantities of juniper and taney; and was informed by his guide, that later in the season (he visited Etna in June 1769) there are a great many curious plants, and in some places rhubarb and saffron in great plenty. In Carrera's history of Catania, there is a list of all the plants and herbs of Etna, in alphabetical order.

This region is extolled by Mr Brydone as one of the most delightful spots on earth. He lodged for a night in a large cave near the middle, formed by one of the molk most ancient lavas. It is called La Spelonca del Capriole, or the goats cavern; because it is frequented by those animals, which take refuge there in bad weather. Here his rest was disturbed by a mountain thrown up in the eruption 1766. It discharged great quantities of smoke, and made several explosions like heavy cannon fired at a distance; but they could observe no appearance of fire.

This gentleman likewise visited the eastern side of the Regione flosca, intending to have ascended that way to the summit, and descended again on the south side to Catania; but found it impracticable; though what the insurmountable difficulties were, he does not mention. On this side, part of the woody region was destroyed, in 1755, by an immense torrent of boiling water, which issued from the great crater. Its traces were still very visible, about a mile and a half broad, and in some places more. The soil was then only beginning to recover its vegetative power, which it seems this torrent had destroyed for 14 years.—Near this place are some beautiful woods of cork, and evergreen oak, growing absolutely out of the lava, the soil having hardly filled the crevices; and not far off, our traveller observed seven little mountains that seemed to have been formed by a late eruption. Each of these had a regular cup, or crater, on the top; and, in some, the middle gulph, or Voragine, as the Sicilians call it, was still open. Into these gulphs Mr Brydone tumbled down stones, and heard the noise for a long time after. All the fields round, to a considerable distance, were covered with large burnt stones discharged from these little volcanoes.

The woody region, especially the east side, called Garfino, abounds with very large chestnut-trees; the most remarkable of which has been called, from its size, Caffagno de Cento Cavalli, or chestnut-tree of a hundred horses. Mr Brydone was greatly disappointed at the sight of this tree, as it is only a bush of five large ones growing together; but his guides assured him, that all these five were once united into one stem; and Signor Recupero told him, that he himself had been at the expense of carrying up peasants with tools to dig round this bush of trees, and found all the stems united below ground in one root. The circumference, as measured by Messrs Brydone and Glover who accompanied him, amounted to 204 feet. Another of these, about a mile and a half higher on the mountain, is called Caffagna del Galatea; it rises from one solid stem to a considerable height; after which it branches out, and is a much finer object than the other: this was measured two feet above the ground, and found to be 76 feet in circumference. A third, called Caffagna del Nave, is pretty nearly of the same size; and Massa, one of the most esteemed Sicilian authors, affirms that he has seen solid oaks there upwards of 40 feet round. All these grow on a thick rich soil, which seems originally to have been formed of ashes thrown out by the mountain. Here the barometer stood at 26 inches 5 lines and an half, indicating an elevation of near 4000 feet.

The Piedmontese district is covered with towns, villages, monasteries, &c. and is well peopled, notwithstanding the danger of such a situation: but the fertility of the soil tempts people to inhabit that country; and their superstitious confidence in their saints, with the propensity mankind have to despise danger which they do not see, render them as secure there as in any other place. Here, Sir Wm Hamilton observes, they keep their vines low, contrary to the custom of those who inhabit mount Vesuvius; and they produce a stronger wine, but not in such abundance: here also many terrible eruptions have burst forth; particularly one in 1669. At the foot of the mountain raised by that eruption, is a hole, through which Sir Wm Hamilton descended, by means of a rope, into several subterraneous caverns, branching out, and extending much farther than he chose to venture, the cold there being excessive; and a violent wind extinguishing some of the torches. Many other caverns are known in this and the other regions of Etna; particularly one near this place called La Spelonca della Palomba, (from the wild pigeons building their nests there.) Here Mr Brydone was told that some people had lost their senses, from having advanced too far, imagining they saw devils and damned spirits.—Some of these caverns are made use of as magazines for snow; which they are well adapted for, on account of their extreme cold. These are with great probability supposed by Sir Wm Hamilton to be the hollows made by the inflowing of the lava in eruptions.

In this region the river Acis, so much celebrated by the poets, in the fable of Acis and Galatea, takes its rise. It bursts out of the earth at once in a large stream, runs with great rapidity, and about a mile from its source throws itself into the sea. Its water is remarkably clear; and so extremely cold, that it is reckoned dangerous to drink it: it is said, however, to have a poisonous quality, from being impregnated with vitriol; in consequence of which, cattle have been killed by it. It never freezes, but is said often to contract a greater degree of cold than ice.

Having thus given an account of this mountain in its quiet and peaceable state, we must now describe the appearance it puts on during the time of an eruption, when it spreads destruction for many miles round, and is capable of striking the boldest with terror.—Here we are surprised to find ourselves at a loss; for though there are many particular accounts of the eruptions of Vesuvius, we cannot, after the most diligent search, find that any writer hath accurately described the phenomena attending an eruption of Etna.—Borelli, indeed, an Italian writer, published a natural history of this mountain for the year 1669, when a very terrible eruption happened; but as this treatise is not now to be found, in this part of the world at least, we must supply the deficiency in the best manner we can, by such hints as can be obtained from the writing of Sir Wm Hamilton and Mr Brydone, together with a very imperfect account given by some English merchants who happened to be in Catania at that time, and recorded in the Philosophical Transactions No 51.

Sir Wm Hamilton, who has examined both Vesuvius and Etna in a very accurate manner, never had an opportunity of seeing an eruption of the latter; but as he is of opinion that the two volcanoes agree perfectly in all respects, only that the latter is on a much larger scale than the former, we hope it will not be unacceptable to our readers to give an account of some of the general appearances of Vesuvius when in a state of eruption, the better to help their ideas concerning Etna.

It has been already observed, that a smoke constantly issues from the top of Etna, and that its internal The first symptom of an approaching eruption is an increase of the smoke in fair weather: after some time, a puff of black smoke is frequently seen to shoot up in the midst of the white, to a considerable height. These puffs are attended with considerable explosions; for while Vesuvius was in this state, Sir Wm Hamilton went up to its top, which was covered with snow; and perceiving a little hillock of sulphur, about six feet high, which had been lately thrown up, and burnt with a blue flame at the top, he was examining this phenomenon, when suddenly a violent report was heard, a column of black smoke shot up with violence, and was followed by a reddish flame. Immediately a shower of stones fell; upon which he thought proper to retire. Phenomena of this kind, in all probability, precede the eruptions of Etna, in a much greater degree.—The smoke at length appears wholly black in the day-time, and in the night has the appearance of flame; showers of ashes are sent forth, earthquakes are produced, the mountain discharges volleys of red-hot stones to a great height in the air. The force by which these stones are projected, as well as their magnitude, seems to be in proportion to the bulk of the mountain. Signior Recuperi assured Mr Brydone, that he had seen immensely large ones thrown perpendicularly upwards to the height of 7000 feet, as he calculated from the time they took to arrive at the earth after beginning to descend from their greatest elevation. The largest stone, or rather rock, that was ever known to be emitted by Vesuvius, was 12 feet long, and 45 in circumference. This was thrown a quarter of a mile; but much larger ones have been thrown out by mount Etna, almost in the proportion in which the latter exceeds Vesuvius in bulk. Along with these terrible symptoms, the smoke that issues from the crater is sometimes in a highly electrified state. In this case, the small ashes which are continually emitted from the crater, are attracted by the smoke, and rise with it to a great height, forming a vast black, and to appearance dense, column; from this column continual flashes through some weak place in its side. Upon the appearance of the lava, the violent eruptions of the mountain generally, though not always, cease; for if this burning matter gets not sufficient vent, the commotions increase to a prodigious degree.—In the nighttime the lava appears like a stream of fire, accompanied with flame: but in the day-time it has no such appearance; its progress is marked by a white smoke, which by the reflection of the red-hot matter in the night assumes the appearance of flame.

All the abovementioned symptoms preceded the great Eruption in eruption of Etna in 1669. For several months before 1669, the lava broke forth, the old mouth, or great crater on the summit, was observed to send forth great quantities of smoke and flame; the top had fallen in, so that the mountain was much lowered; the islands also of Volcan and Stromboli, two volcanoes to the westward of Sicily, were observed to rage more than usual.—Eighteen days before the eruption, the sky was very thick and dark, with thunder, lightning, frequent concussions of the earth, and dreadful subterraneous bellowsings. On the 11th of March, some time before the lava got vent, a rent was opened in the mountain twelve miles in length, into which, when stones were thrown down, they could not be heard to strike the bottom. Burning rocks, 60 palms (15 of our feet) in length, were thrown to the distance of a mile; others of a lesser size were carried three miles off; the internal noises of the mountain were exceedingly dreadful, and the thunder and lightning from the smoke scarce less terrible than they. When the lava at last got vent, it burst out of a vineyard, 20 miles below the great crater, and sprung up into the air to a considerable height. Here it formed a mountain of stones and ashes, not less, as Sir Wm Hamilton conjectures, than half a mile perpendicular in height, and three miles in circumference. For 54 days, neither sun nor star had appeared; but soon after the lava got vent, the mountain became very quiet. The terrible effects of this fiery stream may be imagined from its amazing extent; being, as Sir Wm Hamilton observes, no less than 14 miles long, and in many places fix in breadth. In its course, it destroyed the habitations of near 30,000 persons; and meeting with a lake four miles in compass, it not only filled it up, though several fathom deep, but made a mountain in the place of it. Having reached Catania, it destroyed part of its walls, and ran for a considerable length into the sea, forming a safe and beautiful harbour; which, however, was soon filled up by a fresh torrent of the same inflamed matter.

It is not easy for those who have never been present at those terrible operations of nature, to represent to their minds the horror which must attend the breaking forth of a lava; for though the giving vent to this burning matter generally produces a cessation of the violent efforts of the internal fire, yet at the very instant of its explosion scarce any thing can be conceived so dreadful.—As we cannot find a particular account of what happened at the breaking forth of the lava in mount Etna in 1669, we must content ourselves with giving the reader some idea of it from Sir Wm Hamilton's account of the breaking forth of a lava in Vesuvius, no more than a quarter of a mile's distance from the place where he stood. "I was making my observations," says he, "on the lava, which had already, from the spot..." spot where it first broke out, reached the valley; when, on a sudden, about noon, I heard a violent noise within the mountain, and about a quarter of a mile off the place where I stood, the mountain split, and with much noise, from this new mouth, a fountain of liquid fire shot up many feet high, and then, like a torrent, rolled on directly towards us. The earth shook, at the same time that a volley of pumice-stones fell thick upon us; in an instant, clouds of black smoke and ashes caused almost a total darkness; the explosions from the top of the mountain were much louder than any thunder I ever heard, and the smell of sulphur was likewise very offensive. My guide, alarmed, took to his heels; and I must confess I was not at my ease. I followed close, and we ran near three miles without stopping; as the earth continued to shake under our feet, I was apprehensive of the opening of a fresh mouth, which might have cut off our retreat. I also feared that the violent explosions would detach some of the rocks off the mountain of Somma, under which we were obliged to pass; besides, the pumice-stones, falling upon us like hail, were of such a size as to cause a disagreeable sensation upon the part where they fell. After having taken breath, as the earth still trembled greatly, I thought it most prudent to leave the mountain and return to my villa; where I found my family in a great alarm at the continual and violent explosions of the volcano, which shook our house to its very foundation, the doors and windows swinging upon their hinges.—The noise and smell of sulphur increasing, we removed from our villa to Naples; and I thought proper, as I passed by Portici, to inform the court of what I had seen; and humbly offered it as my opinion, that his Sicilian Majesty should leave the neighbourhood of the threatening mountain.—I observed, in my way to Naples, which was in less than two hours after I had left the mountain, that the lava had actually covered three miles of the very road through which we had retreated. It is astonishing that it should have run so fast; as I have since seen, that the river of lava in the Atreo di Cavallo was 60 and 70 feet deep, and in some places near two miles broad. When his Sicilian Majesty quitted Portici, the noise was greatly increased; and the concussion of the air from the explosions was so violent, that, in the king's palace, doors and windows were forced open, and even one door there, which was locked, was nevertheless burst open. At Naples, the same night, many windows and doors flew open: (the windows at Naples open like folding doors.) In my house, which is not on the side of the town next Vesuvius, I tried the experiment of unbolting my windows, when they flew wide open upon every explosion of the mountain.

Besides these explosions, which were very frequent, there was a continued subterraneous and violent rumbling noise; which lasted this night about five hours.

No doubt the same terrible appearances are put on by Etna at the time its lavas break forth; but in a much greater degree, in proportion to the superior size of the mountain.—The appearance, and indeed the effects, of the lava itself, are very dreadful. When it first issues, the lava appears very fluid, and runs with the rapidity of a swift river: but even then it surprisingly resists the impression of solid bodies; for Sir Wm Hamilton could not pierce that of Vesuvius with a stick driven against it with all his force; nor did the largest stone he was able to throw upon it sink, but made a slight impression, and then floated along. This happened almost at the very mouth, when the lava appeared liquid as water, and when he saw it running with a rapidity equal to the river Severn at the passage near Bristol.—A description of the lava issuing from mount Etna in 1669 was sent to the court of England by Lord Winchelsea, who at that time happened to be at Catania in his way home from an embassy at Constantinople. His account is not now to be procured; but Mr Hamilton found a copy in Sicily, and hath given an extract, part of which follows. "When it was night, I went upon two towers in divers places; and I could plainly see, at ten miles distance, as we judged, the fire begin to run from the mountain in a direct line, the flame to ascend as high and as big as one of the greatest steeples in your Majesty's kingdoms, and to throw up great stones into the air; I could discern the river of fire to descend the mountain of a terrible fiery or red colour, and stones of a paler red to swim therein, and to be some as big as an ordinary table. We could see this fire to move in several other places, and all the country covered with fire, ascending with great flames in many places, smoking like to a violent furnace of iron melted, making a noise with the great pieces that fell, especially those that fell into the sea. A cavalier of Malta, who lives there, and attended me, told me, that the river was as liquid, where it issues out of the mountain, as water, and came out like a torrent with great violence, and is five or six fathom deep, and as broad, and that no stones sink therein."

The account given in the Philosophical Transactions is to the same purpose. We are there told, that the lava is "nothing else than diverse kinds of metals and minerals, rendered liquid by the fierceness of the fire in the bowels of the earth, boiling up and gushing forth as the water doth at the head of some great river; and having run in a full body for a stone's cast or more, began to crust or curdle, becoming, when cold, those hard porous stones which the people call Sciarri." Those, though cold in comparison of what first issues from the mountain, yet retained so much heat as to resemble huge cakes of coak strongly ignited, and came tumbling over one another, bearing down or burning whatever was in their way.—In this manner the lava proceeded slowly on till it came to the sea, when a most extraordinary conflict ensued betwixt the two adverse elements. The noise was vastly more dreadful than the loudest thunder, being heard thro' the whole country to an immense distance; the water seemed to retire and diminish before the lava, while clouds of vapour darkened the sun. The whole fish on the coast were destroyed, the colour of the sea itself was changed, and the transparency of its waters lost for many months.

While this lava was issuing in such prodigious quantity, the merchants, whose account is recorded in the Philosophical Transactions, attempted to go up to the mouth itself; but durst not come nearer than a furlong, lest they should have been overwhelmed by a vast pillar. lar of ashes, which to their apprehension exceeded twice the bigness of St Paul's People in London, and went up into the air to a far greater height; at the mouth itself was a continual noise, like the beating of great waves of the sea against rocks, or like distant thunder, which sometimes was so violent as to be heard 60, or even 100 miles off, to which distance also part of the ashes were carried.—Some time after, having gone up, they found the mouth from whence this terrible deluge issued to be only a hole about 10 feet diameter. This is also confirmed by Mr Brydone; and is probably the same through which Sir Wm Hamilton descended into the subterranean caverns already mentioned.

Mount Aetna, as we have already remarked, has been a celebrated Vulcano from the remotest antiquity. Diodorus Siculus mentions eruptions of it as happening 500 years before the Trojan war, or 1693 years before the Christian era. Many others are recorded by historians in different ages, but none are particularly described. The mountain seems sometimes to lie dormant for many years, or even centuries; when it breaks out again with great fury, and will sometimes burn for years together. Since 1669 there have been several eruptions, but none of them comparable to that one. The last happened in 1766. The lava sprung up into the air to a considerable height, twelve miles below the summit; but formed a stream only six miles in length, and one mile in breadth.

These are the most remarkable circumstances we have been able to collect, that might serve to give an adequate idea of this famous mountain.—Many things, however, concerning the extent, antiquity, &c. of the lavas, remain to be discussed, as well as the opinions of philosophers concerning the origin of the internal fire which produces so much mischief; but the consideration of these belongs to the general article Vulcano, to which the reader is referred.—The fate of Catania and Hybla, which have often been destroyed by eruptions, falls to be mentioned under these two words.