106 Geograjpky^ 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 from 

 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 1 90 miles in length. Hence, the 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. Presl computes it at 624- 

 Italian, or 1 56 geographical miles, and the whole surface 58 7i 

 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 Granitola, or as it is also named 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, 6Q 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, 2)6^. Capo di Faro, the ancient Promontory of 

 Pelorus, is 2 J Italian miles to the coast of Calabria. The 

 lighthouse of Milazzo to the Island of Lipari, 1 7 ; 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 observes, in his 

 Topogrqfia di Palermo, 1818, that the mean annual height of 

 the thermometer of Reaumur, in that city (Palermo), was 

 14<*4°. The mean temperature, in January and February zz 

 8*9° R., in July and August^ 19*8°. In the severest cold 

 during twenty years, the thermometer never exceeded + 0.2° R., 

 and was never less 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, 22*149 Eng- 

 lish inches. The medium height of the barometer in one year 



