ITALY. LETTER X. II; 



and foffils, almoft entirely unknown. What we 

 know of it, is fome notices, taken on a voyage to 

 Sicily by Sir William Hamilton^ the Britifh Minifter 

 at Naples ; which, if I recollect, are inferted to 

 the French Encyclopedic Journal, and juftly 

 prove, that JEtna, in comparifon to Vefuvius, is 

 a giant ; but for the reft, produces the fame forts 

 of lava. The celebrated Jo. Alphonfi Borellfs 

 Hiftoria et Metecrologia incendii ^Etnai^ Anni 1669, 

 printed at Reggio> 1670, 4to. is extremely fcarce. 

 I bought here, in a bookfeller's mop, an engraved 

 Plan of JEtna, under the title of, Carta OryRo- 

 graphica di Mongibdlo per la fua ftoria naturals 

 Jcritta da Giufeppe Recupero Canonicc della Colle- 

 giata di Catania ; but the Natural Hiftory it is 

 defigned for has not appeared, and perhaps never 

 will appear. The author bears the character of 

 a very learned ingenious man -, and it is a pity, 

 that many good undertakings mifcarry, or are 

 fupprefied, by fuperftition, and falfe religious fana- 

 ticifm. The old legend of Empedocles's throw- 

 ing himfelf in the funnel of ./Etna is generally 

 known. Mr. Byars, an Englifh Antiquary at 



for Antiquaries and Naturalifts in thefe European Auftralian 

 countries? D'OrviUt, a Dutchman; Baron RieJe/el, a Ger- 

 man ; and Sir William Hamilton and Brydone, Britons, have 

 made promifing futcefsful attempts. They dared, and diffi- 

 culties difappeared. 



I 3 Rome, 



