238 Earthquakes in Sicily. 
and ashes, which the wind drove among them. But only one 
man was struck by the burning rocks hurled through the air 
with immense violence. The scoria and ashes did much 
damage to the cisterns of the island, and to the terraces which 
serve as tiles over them. Torrents of black smoke, ashes, 
sand were often ejected and thrown to various distances. 
The greatest shocks were sometimes followed by a thick dry 
cloud, which filled the air of the whole island. 
The shock of the fifth of March was very strong at Strom- 
boli, at Baline, formerly Didime, and at Lipari. The inhabi- 
tants. - Lipari did not doubt that their aad would this time 
be reduced to ruins; and they have not yet ceased giving 
thanks to heaven and their protecting saints, for defending 
them from utter = They aff affirm that a moment after 
the shock, all their thoughts were turned upon the disasters 
which. might se to places on the neighbouring coast 0 
Sicily and at ae eine towards which the direction of the 
motion seemed to ipari lies between us and Stromboli. 
Since April the paris ‘of our island which were before agitated, 
have been left in repose; but shocks are still frequent at 
Stromboli eep the poor inhabitants there in continued 
fear. The subterranean furnace seems to have lost much of 
its power, as the elastic vapours generated there shake but 
— limited space, and the new sharin of the mountains, 
now and then but a very small quantity of fine sand, 
Preeti is always ni last product of an expiring conflagration. 
From what I have laid down, it is just to conclude, that the 
fires of Eolia are those which have for a long time been pre- 
paring the event of Jast March ; that it was produced by mo- 
tions generated in those mighty furnaces, and that those mo- 
tions were propagated to great distances. If Sicily then is 
so often shocked, the powers which agitate it must exist in 
sicioton that burn: within its own bosom, and in the sur- 
roundingsea. Situated in the midst of such grand operations 
of nature, Sicily must be exposed to all the effects which such 
powerful causes are capable of producing. The chemical 
subterranean operations require that the magi should every 
where be traversed by vast cavities and canals, running i0 
Various directions; and the forces of the Operations act on 
the different parts of these cavities. But it is natural to be- 
_ ve, and many facts in this memoir demonstrate the pag of 
; that places in the vicinity of the three great volcanic 
tees ordinarily feel the force with the greatest violence. ie 
