88 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



time to time traversed some uncovered lava stream, 

 or wound round the base of some ancient crater, 

 which is now covered by vegetation, and stands 

 forth like a pyramid of verdure. The fruitfulness of 

 the woody region is remarkable, for here the flora of 

 Etna which is so rich in species, seems at every step 

 to dispute possession of the ground with the volcano, 

 which is incessantly threatening it. This struggle 

 gives rise to the most striking contrasts, for absolute 

 sterility is often in immediate juxtaposition with the 

 richest vegetation, as was forcibly exemplified in this 

 portion of our excursion. For here all the slopes 

 situated to the left of our road were concealed 

 beneath a thick covering of green, surmounted here 

 and there by trees, which looked as if they were 

 merely balanced on their denuded roots. A few 

 shepherds, followed by numerous herds, and who 

 watched us pass with an air of indifferent curiosity, 

 imparted animation to the scene. The shallow 

 ground lying to our right presented an equally 

 smiling aspect, but above us lay, like petrified 

 torrents and cascades, the enormous lava beds of the 

 Boccarelle del Fuoco, those twin craters, which 

 in 1766 destroyed, according to the statement of 

 Doctor Gemellaro, more than a million of oaks in this 

 part of the forest. 



After two hours' march we reached the border of 

 the wood and the Casa del Bosco, a small hut which 

 is built opposite to the Grotta delle Capre. It was 

 past mid-day, but yet the heat was less intolerable. 

 We had already reached a height of 6,233 feet above 

 the point from which we started, and there remained 



