234 Earthquakes in Sicily. 



While Nicosia and the whole space between Madonia and 

 JEtna were in such commotion, Sicily to the west and all the 

 northern coast enjoyed perfect quiet ; but a sad reverse was 

 preparing. In October iEtna ceased throwing out sulphurous 

 ashes and sand, and with it ceased nil its noises, and shocks, 

 and all was calm. In February in the beginning of the next 

 year, small motions of the earth were felt along the northern 

 side of the island, which were the preludes to the scene that 

 presented itself in March. 



The direction of the motion was from N. E. to S. W. as 



it gain credit, would be injurious to science, I make all haste to correct 

 it. In 1822, neither at a great nor at a small distance from the crater, 

 the earth opened ; and the matter thrown out is volcanic ashes, perfectly 

 like that which lias usually been expelled by this volcano; at least for 

 the forty years that 1 have studied it. It did not come out in the form of 

 jnud, bat in exceedingly fine dust, which afterwards became wet with 

 the vapour condensed within the vei-y edges of the fissures, or which fell 

 in brine. It is a long while since any of the writers on volcanoes, wish- 

 ing to establish the theory of " eruptions of mud," have named that of 

 sea-water and shells in 1755 ; a poptilar credulity, which I have been 

 compelled to do away, by every possible proof. This new error of 1822 

 might recall their arguments and lead on to other errors. I have giveni 

 ivith much pleasure, a true detail of the fact to the illustriousM.de 

 Humboldt, who wrote me on the subject, with that ardent zeal which 

 characterizes him, and whicii has rendered him, as he is proclaimed in 

 "both hemispheres, one of the greatest observers of nature. With re- 

 Bpect to the nature of this volcanic ashes, although I am convinced that 

 it diifcrs not at all from that which has always been ejected, yet I wish«d 

 to consult the oracle of Chemistry upon it, since it is his delight to dis- 

 cover the composition of bodies ; I mean the illustrious Vauquelin^ 

 whose noble interest in me has conferred on me so much honour. My 

 fkst packet, much to my regret and that of the eminent chemist who 

 was expecting it, never reached its destiny ; but I renewed it, and the 

 res<ilts shall have place in my continuation of the liistory of j^^^tna from 

 J81S whei-c 1 left it, which I shall soon publish. I will add to finish this 

 note, that the " muddy eruptions" so called by our Macalubbi are not 

 such, even according to the imaginary ideas of Plato, who admitted riv- 

 ers of mud in the interior of the globe, to which end he alleged such 

 eruptions in Sicily. Nothing comes up from the depths of the earth but 

 streams of carburetted hydrogen gas, which finding above, the argilla- 

 ceous chalk, of which the soil is formed, loosened away by rain water, 

 it forces it up and causes it to flow in muddy streams. In times of 

 dixjught, dust only is forced uu, and in its passage a whistling is made like 

 an impetuous wind. Even of our Lake of the Palici, they believe that 

 the water comes from the interior of the earth, and wonder that it never 

 overflows. Why do they not observe that in dry years it entirely evapo- 

 rates, and tliat nothing comes out of the chinks at its bottom but currents 

 of air, which give to the water the appearance of boiling when it col- 

 }e«bi thejre from the vain?' 



