'dohich occurred in Sicily in March 1 823. 171 



Three principal furnaces have their outlets on the three 

 sides of Sicily, and each with a force proportioned to the cir- 

 cumstances which supply it with combustible matter. jEtna, 

 on the eastern side, by the immensity of its power rules the 

 whole island. When in full action, the island trembles to its 

 foundation, and feels the mighty power which has borne rule 

 there from time immemorial. Its roarings are heard from 

 one extremity to the other ; but the parts most agitated are 

 those in its neighbourhood and those between it and Cape 

 Passora, a space of about a hundred miles. 



The mountain of Sciacca,on the southern shore towards the 

 west, seems to cover a place where the elements have been in 

 ceaseless operation for ages. From dark caverns which open 

 in the more elevated parts, torrents of water in the form of 

 heated vapour, with sulphurous gases, ai'e ejected. Having 

 penetrated into the internal recesses, but unable to extinguish 

 the fermentation, the water becomes invested with fire, is con- 

 verted into vapour, and thus exhaled into our atmosph«-e» 

 The extrication of the steam causes in the internal caverns a 

 deep roaring, and often fearful convulsions felt at a great di- 

 stance. At such times Sciacca, at the foot of the mountain, 

 experiences the most violent commotions. In 1578 it was re- 

 duced to ruins. In 1652 for fifteen days it suffered the most 

 severe and unremitted shocks. For some months in 1 724 the 

 earth was so frequently and violently agitated that all the in- 

 habitants fled into the country. In September 1 726 all the 

 western part of Sicily was shaken with the greatest severity ; 

 and in Palermo at that time many lives were lost and many 

 edifices destroyed. In June of 1740 Sciacca felt 22 shocks, 

 with injury to buildings and loss of lives ; that of the 25th was 

 of such innuensc force that it extended as far as Palermo. 

 After the middle of December 1816 the inhabitants heard 

 extraordinary rumblings under the mountain; and in January 

 of the succeeding year the shocks were so frequent, that 12 

 were sometimes counted in one day, and so violent that it 

 seemed that the foundations of buildings must be rooted up — 

 the rumblings and explosions under the mountain became! 

 fearfully loud— and the sea dashed in great waves against the 

 shore at its foot. Sambuca, 15 miles distant, sufl'ered much 

 injury. A strong odour of sulphur pervaded the air all about 

 Sciacca. While nature was in this agitation in the western 

 part of the island, the eastern was enjoying perfect <|uiet. 

 Over against Sciacca, at the distance of 70 miles, Pentellaria 

 rises from the sea, and presents the same pha;nomena: an 

 island of lava and other burnt matter, and streams of lieated 

 vapour of water and of sulphur issuing inccssiintly from its 



V 2 cavities, 



