400 1M5MAIN XII. VOLCANIC. 



" Directing now my steps towards that part 

 of the cone which fronts the south, I found there 

 another small current which had not, like the 

 rest, proceeded from the crater, but which, on 

 the 18th of July, formed an opening for itself, 

 half a mile below the crater; this eruption had 

 formed a small mountain of a conic form, with a 

 lateral opening, through which the current flow- 

 ed in a breadth of half a mile, and to the length 

 of a mile. My guide informed me, that it was 

 from the inferior opening of this small cone that 

 the smoke, mixed with sand and light drosses, 

 issued, which occasionally concealed the fire 

 from the great crater. 



" This partial eruption was not visible from 

 Catania, on account of the interposition of 

 Monte Rosso, immediately between the summit 

 of Etna and that city. 



" The appearance of these two small streams 

 is not so horrible as that of Bronte, on account 

 of their being of different colours, produced by 

 the iron in the lava; which is deprived of its in- 

 flammable substance by the sulphuric acid, ren- 

 dered more effective by" heat. 



" I examined many insulated pieces, darted 

 to the distance of one or two miles, and remark- 

 ed their figure to be a pretty regular oval ; their 

 larger diameter was five, and their smaller three 



