380 DOMAIN Xir. VOLCANIC. 



and it sometimes assumes the appearance x of 

 pisolite. 



A chief part of Dolomieu has asserted, that tufo forms nine 

 tenths of Mount Etna, and its filial hills; but 

 Ferrara, a more competent observer, will not 

 allow that one- half is of this substance. The 

 recent eruptions of this grand and perpetual 

 volcano have, however, been chiefly remarkable 

 for those ejections of drosses, powders, and sand, 

 which form tufo, as the reader will observe from 

 the following accounts of Gioeni and Ferrara, 

 yet untranslated ; and who, being skilful mine- 

 ralogists, deserve more confidence than common 

 travellers and narrators. Some degree of pro- 

 lixity is indispensable, as already observed, in 

 scientific details; and in the description of 

 such grand and wonderful phenomena, minute- 

 ness, as in historical anecdotes, increases the 

 pleasure of the perusal. 



Remarkable in Gioeni's account of the eruption of Etna, in 



late eruptions. Ju ^ ^^ - g introduced by the f o H ow i ng re . 



marks of Dolomieu, and letter of the French 

 Consul at Messina. 



Doiomieu's " While on the point of closing the enumera- 

 tion and description of the productions of Etna, 

 this volcano, which, during six years, had re- 

 mained inactive and quiet, experienced new con- 

 vulsions: they began about the 15th of June, 



