32 



ETNA 



[Ch. XXVI. 



some 



escaped the general devastation. After passing several da 



footmarks 



ys 



at one point 

 me and made 



some 



surprised 



I crossed on foot a part of tlie new lava-field, in company 



Gemmellai 



wliicli in 



mule 



There 



was now no foot-path leading to it, and we fonnd the black 

 scoriaceons crust of the lava of 1852 bent into exceedingly 

 sharp, longitudinal ridges, separated by narrow interspaces, 

 from 20 to 40 feet deep, the sides of each ridge sloping 



20'' to 40"" but seeming at some points 

 to be absolutely vertical. On the crests of each ridge were 

 fragments of scoriform lava, sometimes tabular, and stick- 

 ing up edgeways, like sheets of broken ice on a Canadian 



at 



from 



am 



masses 



More frequently the projecting portions of the 



assumed 



m 



or of various animals, such as dogs and d< 



the heads of elks with branching horns. 



resembled, in all but colour, the descriptions given of coral 



The surface often 



reefs ; 



my 



opportunity of knowing that the stony asperities could tear 



my 



The stones 



on the top and sides of most of the ridges were so loose, that 

 no sooner was oiie of them set a-rolling, than it started a 

 number of others, until a continuous avalanche poured down 

 into the trough below ; but as Ave had to zigzag our way up 

 each steep ascent, there was little dangler of one of us beino^ 



companion 



Now 



and then our direct march was arrested by a ridge, rendered 

 impassable by its steepness or the incoherence of the stony 



mal 



circuit, often with our backs turned towards our goal, the 

 hill of Finocchio. The manner in which detached blocks of 

 various shapes and sizes were occasionally poised one upon 

 another, on very narrow ridges, made us marvel that high 

 winds had not blown them down. I climbed up to some of 



f 



C^' 



^^ 



? 







a 





■re 



e 



at; 



CO 



The 

 the la 



• I • 



lities 

 overfl 



Tippe 



B0T( 



for t 



flies 

 loftj 

 lavas 

 planei 

 model 

 preclu 

 descril 



Cast 

 instiiK 



Mount 

 ffssnuK 



flown 



valle 

 This 



1 



1 







