VOL. XXXIII.] i'HlLOSOPHICAL XRANSAC TtONS. A^ 



serene and calm clay, the earth began suddenly to tremble, chiefly about Catania, 

 and in some neighbouring places. This first shake was accompanied as usual 

 by a hollow, thundering noise, and succeeded by another small trembling, 

 observed on Saturday, early in the morning. These two succussions, though 

 violent enough, were but a prelude to the third, which happened the 11th of 

 the same month, at 4 in the afternoon. This last was stupendous beyond ima- 

 gination; file fiery eruption of the burning Etna throwing out a prodigious 

 quantity of flames, stones, and ashes; the terror and confusion of the dis- 

 tracted inhabitants running up and down the streets, uncertain where to pro- 

 vide for their safety, or how to escape the fury of all the raging elements, which 

 seemed to have conspired their ruin. There was scarcely one place all over the 

 kingdom without some particular misfortune, Catania, Syracusa, Agosta, 

 Messina, Noto, Ragusa, Leontini, Ibla Chiarumonle, Carleontino, Caltagirone, 

 Soctino, Francofonte, Bontello, Militello, Occhiali, Aydono, Motica Mascali, 

 were all, if not entirely destroyed, at least miserably shattered, many churches 

 and stately buildings, throughout the country, violently thrown down, and 

 above 60,000 inhabitants buried under the ruins, of which about 1 6,000 perished 

 at Catania only. 



In many places the earth gaped prodigiously, by which people were swallowed 

 up, and some places even in the bottom of the sea. Out of all these openings 

 sprung forth a great quantity of water, which drowned the neighbouring 

 places. This water was in some places hot, with a strong sulphureous smell, 

 which lasted even after the earthquakes were over, and induced some of the 

 inhabitants, not without success, to make use of it in curing of ulcers, and 

 other cutaneous diseases, for which chiefly a hot well near Lazaretto became 

 very famous. Out of some of these gapings of the earth issued a thick stench 

 and smoke. 



Just at the time of the second shock, the sea retired from the land all along 

 the coasts, leaving its bottom dry for a considerable distance, and in a few 

 minutes it returned again with great fury, and overflowed the shores. 



And it seemed that the earth itself was in some places considerably lowered, 

 and the tops of the mountains depressed. Of this they had a remarkable 

 instance at Paternione. The hills, between this city and the shore, hindered 

 it from having any view of the sea, which since the earthquake discovers itself 

 towards the east very plainly. 



In other places the earth actually sunk down, and instead of it appeared great 

 lakes, some of which were large enough to become navigable. By the break- 

 ing forth of such a lake between Noto and Syracusa, a large piece of ground 



