Lesson xxxvi.J VOLCANOS. 667 



cent, and two discovered by Captain Cook on the 

 western coast of North America. 



Nearly all the Volcanos yet known are situated 

 at a small distance from the sea: and most of 

 them have been burning from time immemorial ; 

 though some few have burst out during late years. 

 Volcanos seem all to occupy the tops of'moun- 

 tains-c some of them which are situated in the 

 ocean, do not rise much above the surface ; but 

 even these seem to he the apices of mountains, 

 the greater part of which are covered by the sea. 



Of each of the Volcanos in Europe, I shall 

 here present you wiih a short account. From 

 Mount JEtna the eruptions of flame and smoke 

 are discovered at a great distance, by those who 

 sail on the Mediterranean, even as far as the har- 

 bour of Malta, which is more than 40 leagues 

 from the shore of Sicily. Though fire and smoke 

 are continually vomited up by it, yet at some par- 

 ticular times it rages with greater violence. In 

 the year 1536, it shook all Sicily from the first to 

 the twelfth of May; after that there was heard a 

 most-horrible bellowing and cracking, as if great 

 guns had been fired : there were a great many 

 houses overthrown throughout the whole island. 

 When this storm had continued about eleven days, 

 the earth opened in several places, and dreadful 

 gapings appeared here and there, from which 

 issued fire and flame with great violence, which 

 in four days consumed and burnt up every 

 thing that was within five leages of JEtna. A 

 little after, the funnel, which is on the top of the 

 N mountain, 



