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that we are acquainted with ; but from a comparifon with 

 Stromboli, it can fcarcely be ellimnted at more than 1500 

 feet above the leyel of the fea. The fand on the (hore, in 

 fome parts of the ifland, though covered with the fea, pre- 

 ferves a certain degree of heat. 



The ancients attached much importance to the appearance 

 of the fmoke of Vulcano. They inform us, that before a 

 fouth wind blew, the ifland was enveloped in fo dark a 

 cloud, that Sicily could not be feen from it. When a north 

 wind was to be expefted, a pure flame rofe above the crater. 

 The various founds of the explofions likewife, and the dif- 

 ferent places where the eruptions began, with the appearance 

 of the flames, were all pi-ognoftics of the wind which would 

 blow three days afterwards. This account, given by Poly- 

 bius, docs not accord with the prefent phenomena of Vul- 

 cano ; and in all probabihty, it originated not in any accurate 

 obfervations, but from the prejudices of ancient mariners. 



Modern obfervers have alfo pretended to prediA the ftate 

 of the v.'eather from the appearance of Vulcano. If it 

 could be ellabUfhed that there was any conneftion between 

 the ftate of the atmofphere, and the mtenfity of the volcanic 

 fire, thefaft would be well deferving attention. It is how- 

 ever necefTary to obferve, that the fmoke and vapour from 

 common fires and breweries, &c. alTume a very different 

 appearance in difterent ftates pf the atmofphere, and that 

 this fhould be the cafe with the vapour and fmoke iffiiing 

 from volcanoes appears higlily probable, without allowing 

 that any real change takes place in the volcano itfclf. In a 

 book entitled " Tracts by Sicilian Authors," printed at 

 Palermo in 1761, there is a differtation on the manner in 

 which the weather may be foretold twenty-four hours before 

 hand, in which the following account is given by a native of 

 Lipari, who made his obfervations between the years 1730 

 and 1740. " The change of weather and winds is indicated 

 by mount Vulcano twenty -four hours before it takes place, 

 by a louder noife than ufual, refemblmg difl;ant thunder, and 

 if we then obferve the fmoke that iffues in a greater quan- 

 tity than ufual, we may difcover what kind of wind will 

 fucceed. When the wind is about to change to the fouth- 

 eaft, the fmoke rifes fo denfe and black, and in fo great a 

 quantity, and to fuch a height, and afterwards falls in fo 

 black a duft, as to ftnke the beholder with awe. At the 

 fame time a loud roaring is heard, frequently accompanied 

 with trembhngs of the earth. When the wind is on the 

 point of changing to the north-north-eaft, or north-north- 

 weft, or north-weft, the fmoke rifes more flowly, is lefs 

 denfe, and the colour is entirely white, as is that of the dull 

 which falls from it. Nor does any loud noife or trembling 

 of the earth take place. When the wind is about to change 

 to the eaft, or eaft-north-eaft, an explofion is heard in the 

 body of the mountain, which foon after throws out a little 

 white fmoke, of which colour are likewife the aihes which 

 fall when the fmoke is difperfed. The mountain in the 

 mean time explodes, and roars fo violently at intervals, that 

 the (hock of an earthquake is dreaded. Laftly, previous 

 to a change of wind to the weft, the weft-fouth-weft, or 

 weft-north-weft, vaft volumes of fmoke arife of a dark afti- 

 grey, approaching the colour of lead, and fo thick that when 

 they difperfe they occafion a continued fliower of alhes." 



Thele obfervations, whetlier coiTeft or not, indicate a 

 more aftive ftate of the volcano than what it prefents when 

 it has recently been vifited. Spallanzani, who notices the 

 above predictions relative to Vulcano, fays, " I ftiould jultly 

 incur the imputation of raftinefs were I abfolutely to deny 

 thefe fafts, without having fufticient reafon fo to do, efpe- 

 cially as they are fo precile, and are faid to have been ob- 

 served on the fpot. Befides, it does not appear credible 



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that Abbate Roffi, who gives them, would have publidted 

 his obfervations in a place where he was liable to be contra- 

 difted by all his countrymen. I niuft, however, with phi- 

 lofophic candour, fay, that during my refidence of feveral 

 weeks in Lipari, where I continually faw- Vulcano during 

 the blowing of the different winds mentioned in this extratl, 

 particularly the fouth-caft, the weft, and the fouth-weft, I 

 never obferved, either before they begun, or while they con- 

 tinued to blow, any tremblings of the earth, fubterranean 

 roarings, lofty columns of fmoke, or ftiowers of afties. Once 

 only, when a violent fouth-weft wind was on the decline, the 

 column of fmoke which iffued from Vulcano increafed pro- 

 digioufly, but when it had rifen a little diftance above the 

 upper edge of the crater, it grew thinner, and foon after 

 vaniftied. Though the wind continued to blow, this pro- 

 digious cloud of Imoke ftill continued to rife from the cra- 

 ter for feveral hours. I once obferved the fmoke to be ex- 

 ceedingly rare when a ftrong weft wind blew ; and twice, 

 when the air was perfeftly calm, I obferved the fmoke ex- 

 tremely copious, and rifing to a great height. To conclude, 

 after carefully noticing day by day every change that took 

 place in the phenomena exhibited by Vulcano, during my 

 ftay in its vicinity, I could perceive none which afforded 

 fupport to thefe famous prognoftics. The failors at Lipari 

 alfo were not agreed refpefting them. I am not, however, 

 fo pofitive as to deny the whole of thefe obfervations. To 

 know with certainty whether any direft relations exift be- 

 tween the various fymptoms of Vulcano, and the changes 

 of the atmofphere, it would be neceffary to refide for fome 

 years in the illand, a place truly wild and defolate ; and he 

 who, hke Empcdocles at Etna, fliould go to erett his dwel- 

 ling there, in order to obferve the changes of the volcano, 

 would have no other companions than the rabbits which 

 make their burrows in the fouthern fide of the ifland." 

 Spallaniaiu's Travels in the Two Sicilies, vol. ii. 



When M. de Luc vifited Vulcano in 1757, it appeared 

 to be in a more quiefcent ftate than at prefent ; for though 

 fmoke and vapour iffued from the crater, he does not men- 

 tion being incommoded by the heat when he defcended into 

 it. Yet he noticed a faft which we beheve has not fince 

 been remarked. The fiilphureous vapours had a communi- 

 cation with the fea, which was in many places of a yellowifli 

 colour, and in others emitted fumes ; and in the places 

 w'here the fumes iffued, the heat was intolerable, fo that the 

 fifti which approached the coaft died, and the beach near the 

 level of the fea was covered with dead fifh. Pliny ftates, 

 that when the ifiand of Vulcanello was thrown up, a great 

 number of fifh were found dead, and caufed the death of 

 thofe who ate them. 



An opinion exifts, and has exifted for centuries, that the 

 ground under Vulcano is hollow, and that it will fome time 

 be fwallowed up. This opinion probably originated from 

 the hollow found occafioned by the throwing of a ftone, or 

 any hard fubftance, on the bottom of the crater. Probably 

 Vulcano, Stromboli, and all the iEolian ifles, are only the 

 chimneys of one immenfe fubterranean fire, extending under 

 the whole, and commi:nicating from thence to Etna and Ve- 

 fuvius. StroraboK threw out unufually denfe and fuffocating 

 volumes of fmoke for fome days before the earthquakes 

 which defolated Calabria in 178'^; and was uncommonly- 

 violent at the time of the great earthquake which dellroyed 

 Euphemia. See Volcaxo. 



VULDEP, a river of Bavaria, which runs into the Inn, 

 near Ratenburgh in the Tyrolefc. 



VULGAGO, a name given by fome botanical authors to 

 the afarum or afarabacca, whofe leaves and root are ufed in 

 medicine. 



VULGAR 



