68 AUTUMN VISIT TO LIPARI ISLES 



o'clock in the evening to ascend the southern part 

 of the island called Monte San Salvatore, which com- 

 mands a fine view of Vulcano, in the hope of witnessing 

 an eruption of this mountain. Vulcano boasts of all 

 volcanos the best recorded history. It is mentioned as 

 active by Thucydides, writing in the fifth century B.C., 

 and by nearly all the greater writers subsequently 

 Aristotle, Diodorus, Strabo, and Pliny, and a host of 

 others down to our own time. In the older mythologies 

 it figures as the forge of Vulcan, where, according to 

 Virgil, was wrought the armour of zEneas. No doubt 

 much of the attention it attracted from the earlier writers 

 was due to the fact that it was in full activity at a time 

 when Vesuvius lay dormant. After a grand eruption in 

 1786, however, it fell into a state of almost complete 

 repose, so profound that some authors considered it 

 extinct. About twenty years ago it was purchased by 

 Messrs. Narlian & Co., for 8,000, and converted into a 

 chemical manufactory. Such an insult to an ancient 

 historic volcano was not to be passed over, and last year 

 (1888) it was amply avenged. A terrible eruption 

 occurred, and Mr. Narlian was driven from his house and 

 possessions, fleeing for his life. The following is an 

 extract from a letter which he wrote describing the event : 

 "As night approached the leading fumerole had begun 

 to show a clear high flame, somewhat greenish or bluish. 

 This phenomenon, together with the sudden stopping of 

 the smoke from the crater, was evidently not a good omen. 

 Consequently, without undressing, I spent the night on a 

 sofa in the drawing-room. Towards morning I was over- 

 powered by sleep, and went into the little bedroom which 

 looks towards the mountain, rested on the bed, and was 

 soon sound asleep. Shortly afterwards I was awakened 

 by a tremendous din which can hardly be described. As 

 I jumped from my bed I felt stones falling on the roof 



