828 



THE WONDERS OF GEOLOGY. Lect. VIII. 



middle, or temperate zone above, is covered with forests of oak 

 and chestnut, and a luxuriant vegetation reaches to within a 

 mile of the summit. Above this all is sterility and desola- 

 tion, and the highest point of the mountain is covered with 

 eternal snow. The crater is about a quarter of a mile 

 in height, and three quarters of a mile in circumference, 

 and is situated in the centre of a gently inclined plain, 

 three miles in diameter. From the crater a column of 

 vapour constantly issues, emanating from the mass of 

 incandescent mineral matter which fills up the interior, and 

 may be seen, in a state of ebullition, in the fumaroles or 

 chasms in some of the lateral crevices, of which there are 

 generally several accessible. 



Etna is recorded as having been in a state of activity 

 before the Trojan war ; and ever since, at varying intervals, 

 violent eruptions have occurred. In an eruption in 1669, 

 the torrent of lava inundated a space of fourteen miles in 

 length, and four in breadth ; burying beneath it 5,000 

 villas and other habitations, with part of the city of Catania, 

 and at length falling into the sea : during several months 

 before the lava burst out, the old mouth, or great crater, was 

 observed to send forth more smoke and flame than usual, 

 and the top fell in ; so that the cone became much lowered. 



In 1809, twelve new craters opened, about half way 

 down the mountain, and threw out rivers of burning lava, 

 by which several estates and farms were covered to the 

 depth of thirty or forty feet: and in 1811, other vents 

 appeared on the eastern side, and discharged torrents of 

 liquid lava with amazing force. 



In 1832, a violent paroxysm took place, and continued 

 with but little intermission for several weeks. " On the 

 31st of October, in the middle of the night, there arose, 

 without any previous indication, a column of smoke and 

 flame from the base of the large cone, on the northern side ; 

 and, shortly after, an immense quantity of fluid matter was 



