228 An Account of the Eruption 



and dried up the grass, and blackened the roofs of the houses 

 from Nicolosi to Aci Reale, ^c. A few minutes afterwards, 

 another mouth opened below, under the ridge of the large valley 

 del Bove (which the mountaineers call Trifoglietto), whence issued 

 forth flames and smoke ; and finally, a fifth, lower still, in the 

 Rocca di Giannicola, above that of Corvo, from whence issued 

 a torrent of lava, which spread itself with great velocity over 

 that valley. Amidst so many crashes, and such great confusion, 

 and the atmosphere so dense and black around the mountain, the 

 inhabitants of the villages were almost all in motion, and many 

 affirm, that about mid-day, various shocks of earthquakes were 

 felt in Nicolosi, in Viagrande, and also in Catania. 



May 28th. — The explosions, which shook the mountain, conti- 

 nued the whole of this day, and the course of the lava was so rapid, 

 that in less than twenty-four hours it arrived at Zappinello, 

 which is two miles distant from its source. In the evening, the 

 lightning, amidst the column of flame and smoke, recalled to 

 mind *' Tenorme e rigoglioso pino," so celebrated in Vesuvius. 

 It is clearly seen, that the liquid lava flows by a superficial chan- 

 nel from the centre of the great crater, although neither smoke 

 or flame issue from it. 



29th. — The explosions of the higher mouths continued, and 

 the course of the lava proceeded with nearly the same rapidity, 

 and extended almost two miles farther, arriving at Carazo in 

 the fields. The inhabitants of Zafarano begin to be in fear for 

 their farms and village. The high part of Etna, as the Piano 

 del Lago^ the Torre del Filosofo^ my house, and the great ditch 

 della Cisterna, particularly, are cracked with long gaps, which 

 also traverse the hill upon which stands the Torre del Filosofo. 

 The three original mouths are become two, that is, one of them 

 remains as it was, and the other two are united into one. The 

 cinders that have fallen everywhere around the mouths have 

 formed a very curious wreath, composed of various colours of 

 sulphur and of muriate of ammonia. 



ZOth. — The body of the lava is much retarded to-day, there- 

 fore it spreads itself in various directions. 



