Earthquakes in Sicilij. 219 



one of the three forts, placed near the city to support the 

 earth on the side of a great dechvity. 



The only church in Roccapalonf)ba, which is situated at the 

 top of an acclivity, was ruined. The parish church, and some 

 private houses in the little town of Scillato, were overthrown. 

 in Gratteri, a large town south of Cephalu, injury was sus- 

 tained by the church of St. James and other houses. Con^ 

 siderable damage was sustained by various churches, and 

 many private houses in Colesano, a town containing two 

 thousand inhabitants, and situated on an inclined plain, on 

 the eastern side of the mountains of Madonie. One of the 

 Colleges de Maria was rendered uninhabitable. The hospi- 

 tal, a grand fabric, was made a heap of ruins. The loss is 

 calculated at about thirty thousand onze. In the vicinity of 

 Pozzillo and St. Agata, through a large extent of land, many 

 long fissures and caverns were made. Similar caverns and 

 fissures in argillaceous chalk, were opened near the little 

 town of Ogliastro. sixteen miles south-east of Palermo. At 

 Isnello, at the (eet of the Madonie mountains, the injuries 

 which were received * in 1819, were increased; Geraci, 

 among the same mountains, suffered a like fortune in the 

 ruin of the cathedral ; Castelbuono, and St. Mauro, within 

 the same regions, were damaged, both by the former, and by 

 the last convulsions; by the last, the cathedral, the church 

 of St. Mauro, and five private houses sufTered much. The 

 damage done to Castelbuono is reckoned at twenty-one thou- 

 sand onze. 



The northern coast of Sicily, towards Cape Cefalu, after 

 bending to form the eastern part of the great bay, included 

 on the west by the mountains to the left of Palermo, extends 

 into the sea towards Eolie, (the Lipari islands) and presents, 

 towards them, a hollow front, the western part of which is 

 formed by cape Orlando, and the eastern by cape Calava. 

 Places situated about this bay, sufTered the most violent con- 

 vulsions. Nato, containing four thousand souls, and situated 

 on an elevation, was almost entirely laid waste, and a great 

 number of private houses destroyed ; the monastery, hospi- 

 tal, the churches of St. Peter, anime del purgatorio, St. De- 

 metrius, and the cathedral, were in a great measure over- 

 thrown. The Quartiere del Salvadore suffered less. A 

 transverse cleft was made in the earth, and fears were enter- 

 tained, lest the whole elevation upon which the city is built, 

 should be overthrown. Only two persons lost their lives; 



