Earthquakes in Sicily, 2311 



vt 



cbalky land of many parts of Sicily. This want of firm bases 

 frequently causes the overthrow of great rocks at the time 

 of earthquakes. Well do we remember, that in the earth- 

 quake of the fifth of February 1783, a mountain, a mile to 

 the soufh of Scilla, and which was a mile and a half in length, 

 fell over into the sea of Calabria and. formed two new pro- 

 montories. 



Phenomena observed in the Eolian Sea, 



If all these facts induce us to locate in Eolia the causes of 

 the physical events of the past March, it is necessary to in- 

 quire if these islands exhibited, at that time, any phenomena, 

 which may corroborate our opinion. I will mention there- 

 fore, in this place, many facts, about which there can be no 

 uncertainty, and which will be of the greatest importance 

 should any one wish to push the suspicion which I have an- 

 nounced in this memoir, to certain evidence.* 



Since September of last year, the daily quantity of smoke 

 from Vulcano, has been much greater than usual; and flame 

 has often been visible in the evening. Explosions have been 

 frequently heard on the neighbouring coasts of Sicily. But 

 Stromboli has exhibited the greatest activity for almost four- 

 teen months without intermission. Shocks have been very 

 frequent, and so strong as to fill the islanders, although accus- 

 tomed to them, with ^reat apprehensions. The island, with 

 the blazing mountain itself, seemed often on the point of being 

 torn up from its foundation. The volcano opened two new 

 mouths on the side which looks towards the sea, and belched 

 out from them fearful clouds of sand, and burning rocks, which 

 after darkening the air, fell to the earth. Fortunately their 

 direction was not towards any of the little habitations, or 

 cultivated fields of the island. One forest only on the side 

 of the mountain, suffered sonie injury. The inhabitants often 

 found themselves enveloped in thick clouds of black smoke 



* The external phenomena of a volcano, show that the effects of the 

 fermentation have come to the surface ; but nature operates often in the 

 dark recesses of the earth, without exhibiting any external visible ef- 

 fects of her operations ; elastic vapours may form there, shake the soil, 

 and return to their concrete state. When eruptions happen from the 

 inflamed mouths, it is because these subterranean forces have met with 

 substances which may be thrown out, thus g'iving certain proof of the 

 existence of these forces. 



