106 Geography, Geology, 
Sicily with respect to its geography, mineralogy, geology, and 
vegetation. 
Sicily, as its ancient names ‘Trinacria and ‘Triquetra signify, 
is in the form of a triangle having unequal sides, extending 
from 12° 2’ to 15° 42’ longitude east of Greenwich, and for 
36° 39' to 38° 18’ north latitude. The north side of the 
island is the largest, being 215 Italian miles in length; the 
least is the east side, which is 145 miles; and the third, or 
south, is 190 miles in length. Hence, fhe whole circuit of it 
contains 550 Italian miles, or about 600, if the space occupied 
by the promontories and bays be included, according to Pro- 
fessor Farrara’s estimation ; but Dr. Pres computes | it at 624. 
Italian, or 156 geographical miles, and the whole surface 5874 
square miles. The population of the island is estimated at 
1,645,000 nearly (Smyth). The number of inhabitants of the 
four principal cities are : first, of Palermo, 167,505, according 
to the census taken January 1. 1826; second, of Catania, 
80,000; third, of Messina, 30,000; and fourth, of Syracuse, 
20,000. 
The situation of Sicily between Spain, Africa, and Greece, 
is very advantageous towards possessing a delightful climate. 
Cape Gri anitola, or as it isalsonamed Punto di Sorello, not far 
from the ruins of Selinunte, is only 80 miles distant from Cape 
Bon in Africa. From Cape Passaro, formerly the Promon- 
tory of Pachinus, to La Valetta in Malta, 56 miles. Syracuse 
is distant from Santa Maura 176 miles, from Corfu 256, and 
from Zante 255 miles. From Taormina to Cape Matapan in 
the Morea, 3 352. Capo di Faro, the ancient Promontory of 
Pelorus, is 24 Italian miles to the coast of Calabria. The 
lighthouse of Milazzo to the Island of Lipari, 17; and to 
Stromboli, 32 nautic miles. From Cape St. Vito to Cagliari, 
the capital of Sardinia, are 182 nautic miles. According to 
Captain Smyth, the medium height of the thermometer of 
Fahrenheit is 62°5°; in the hottest weather it rises to 92°, 
but seldom is lower than 36°, even in the depth of winter. 
The barometer has for its mean height 29°800 English inches ; 
and the pluviometer 26 in. Professor Scina GhoeaGee, in his 
LTopograjia di Palermo, 1818, that the mean annual height of 
the thermometer of Resin in that city (Palermo), was 
14°4°, The mean temperature, in January and February = 
89° R., in July and August =19°8°. In the severest cold 
during twenty years, the thermometer never exceeded +0.2° R., 
and was never iéss than 3°3°.. The extreme heat not more 
than 33°3° R., and not less than 24°. The mean height of 
the pluviometer, for the same number of years, 22149 Eng- 
lish inches. The medium height of the barometer in one year 
