in February 1818. 333 
several towns and villages of the valley of Noto experienced the 
same fate. Severe shocks were felt at Palermo the Ist of Sep- 
tember 1726; and the earthquake which took place in Calabria 
on the 5th of February 1783 partly destroyed Messina, and spread 
terror at Catania and the towns and villages situated in that di- 
rection. Since that time other shocks, more or less violent, have 
taken place in Sicily, but have done no great injury to the build- 
ings, not even to those of Catania, though that town, by its proxi- 
mity to Mount Etna, is most exposed to accidents of this kind. 
In 1810 a pretty severe shock was felt, aceompanied by an un- 
dulatory motion, which lasted about half a minute ; to the west 
of Catania was seen a flash resembling lightning : the shock was 
repeated the following day, but without any damage: another 
slight shock was felt in the night of the 18th of October 1817. 
But on the 20th of February1818, at ten minutes past one o’clock, 
Italian time, the sky being serene, the moon shining bright, the 
air calm and temperate, not only the city of Catania, but the 
whole region which surrounds Etna experienced a most violent 
convulsion, which occasioned great devastation in the towns and 
villages of that country, and extended to almost all Sicily, to 
Calabria, and even to Malta, but diminishing in intensity in pro- 
portion to the distance from the principal focus. 
Some signs had preceded this formidable phenomenon. On 
the morning of that day the sea appeared calm; but ‘from the 
effect of an invisible current, it dashed violently against the shores 
and shoals. The fishermen felt themselves as if repelled by an 
unseen force when they attempted to approach the rocks partly 
covered by the water, which latter appeared to them to be sensi- 
bly warm. In the afternoon the waters of the Darsena were ex- 
tremely low, and yet the waves approached from time to time 
with such violence, that passing the mole and the wall which rises 
above it, they broke on the opposite side as in a tempest. In 
lofty houses the bells rang of their own accord, and bodies freely 
suspended began to oscillate. 
Ten days before, an abundant rain had fallen, which continued 
during several days, without being accompanied by thunder or 
lightning ; and the sea, which had been previously much agi- 
tated, had become perfectly calm. Etna had been tranquil ever 
since the month of October 1811; in the preceding years there 
was an excessive drought. 
Towards sunset, flames were observed in various parts, running 
along the ancient lavas, and some subterraneous noises were 
heard; in several places inflamed vapours were seen to issue from 
the ground, and some persons said they had beheld vivid light- 
ning upon the mountain ; while others believed that they saw the 
lightning, which is the precursor of the earthquake, pass rapidly 
over 
