34Q DOMAIN XII. VOLCANIC. 



an hour I arrived at the utmost summit of Etna, 

 and began to discover the edges of the crater ; 

 when our guides, who had preceded me at some 

 distance, turned back, and hastening towards 

 me, exclaimed, in a kind of transport, that I 

 never could have arrived at a more proper time 

 to discover and observe the internal part of this 

 stupendous volcano. The reader will easily 

 conceive, without my attempting to describe it, 

 how great a pleasure I felt at finding my labours 

 and fatigue at length crowned with such com- 

 plete success. This pleasure was exalted to a 

 kind of rapture when I had completely reached 

 the spot, and perceived that I might without 

 danger contemplate this amazing spectacle. I 

 sat down near the edge of the crater, and re- 

 mained there two hours, to recover my strength 

 after the fatigues I had undergone in my jour- 

 ney. I viewed with astonishment the configu- 

 ration of the borders, the internal sides, the form 

 of its immense cavern, its bottom, an aperture 

 which appeared in it, the melted matter which 

 boiled within, and the smoke which ascended 

 from it. The whole of this stupendous scene 

 was distinctly displayed before me; and I shall 

 now proceed to give some description of it, 

 though it will only be possible to present the 

 reader with a very feeble image, as the sight 



