398 



DOMAIN XII. VOLCANIC. 



Another 

 current. 



Cone. 



" On reaching the Philosopher's Tower*, my 

 guide measured the height of the bed of drosses, 

 and found it three feet; but, at the foot of the 

 cone, two miles distant from the crater in a right 

 line, I computed the stratum of drosses to be 

 twelve feet in thickness. 



<c I found a number of insulated round blocks, 

 which had been thrown out from the volcano 

 towards the w. s. w., and in the same direction 

 I saw a current of lava, still inflamed and smok- 

 ing, which was descending from the crater, and 

 at its origin was about half a mile in breadth ; it 

 afterwards swelled to a breadth of three miles, 

 and extended two miles in length ; the height of 

 the current, at its sides, was from twelve to six- 

 teen feet, but in the middle twice or even four 

 times as much ; the current continued to receive 

 fresh matter from the crater, as was indicated by 

 the slow motion of the drosses with which its 

 surface was covered, and the flames which pro- 

 ceeded from the occasionally cloven surface, and 

 which, notwithstanding the day-light, were visi- 

 ble; we at the same time perceived that the 

 progress, in a forward direction of the current, 

 was arrested. 



" The portion of the cone we had to pass, in 



* Probably built when the Emperor Hadrian twice visited 

 Etna. P. 



