NOME II. VESICULAR LAVA. S45 



" We have seen above that there were two Second crater, 

 columns of smoke arising from Etna. It is to 

 be remarked that, besides that point of Mount 

 Etna on which I stood, there is another to the 

 north, a quarter of a mile higher, and which 

 renders the summit of Etna proper! bifurcated. 

 Within the first prominence is sunk the crater I 

 have ./escribed; and on the side of the other is 

 the second, from which ascends a lesser column 

 of smoke. The second crater is smaller by 

 about the one-half than that I have already de- 

 scribed ; and the one is separated from the other 

 only by a partition of scorise and accumulated 

 lava, which lies in the direction of from east to 

 west. I made my observations on this second 

 crater from a small distance ; but it was impossi- 

 ble to advance to it, on account of the numerous 

 and thick streams of smoke by which it was 

 surrounded. This, however, was no great dis- 

 appointment, after having seen and examined 

 the principal crater, which is that whence several 

 currents of lava had issued in 1787. I ought 

 certainly to consider myself as extremely for- 

 tunate, in being able to gratify my curiosity with 

 so near and distinct a view of the objects I have 

 described ; as the guides assured me that among 

 all the times when they had conducted strangers 

 to the summit of Etna, this was the only one in 



