•'r 







3 



Z 



S 





I 4 



Ch. XXVI.] 



VAL DEL BOVE. 



7 



have rarely an opportunity of determining the exact nature 

 of the vegetation which covered the mountain when some 

 of the oldest showers of volcanic ashes were j)oured out ; 

 but there are some stratified tuffs at Fasano near Catania 

 replete ,with fossil leaves which throw some light on this 

 subject. I obtained several species of land-plants from these 



Heer 



My 



communis. 



species now living in Sicily. Among ot 

 bay^ Laurus nohilisy the common myrtle 

 and tlie Mastick tree^ Pistachia lentiscus. 



Vol del Bove on the eastern jianh of Etna. — Etna^ wlien viewed 

 whether from the north or sonth^, is of a very symmetrical 

 form^ bnt on its eastern side it is intersected by a deep valley 

 called the Yal del Bove^ the head or upper part of which is 

 bounded by a precipice between 3,000 and 4,000 feet 

 high, which begins 



immediately 



as 



of that highest platform which was before mentioned 

 having been produced by the truncation of the great cone. 

 The annexed view, Plate V., taken from a drawing which I 



ive the reader some idea of 

 n No. 2, which was at that 



made 



time covered with snow. 



The great lava currents of 1811 and 1819 are seen pouring 

 down from the higher parts of the Yal del Bove, overrunning 

 the forests of the great valley, and rising up in the foreground 

 on the left with a rugged surface, on which many hillocks 

 and depressions appear, such as often characterise a lava 

 current before it has ceased to flow as well as after its 

 consolidation. 



The small cone, No. 7, was formed 

 smoking when I saw it in 1828. T] 



to the left, from which vaiiour is if=!sn 



small 



formed 



some 



cated in the sketch : 



1. Montagniiola. 



2. Torre del Filosofo. 



3. Highest cone, 



4. Lepra, 



5. Finocehio. 



6. Capra. 



7. Cone of 1811. 



8. Cima del Asino* 



9. Mnsara. 



10. Zocolaro. 



11. Eocca di Calanna 



