by a known Experience ^ whereby thofe that are on the faicl 
top at a clear break of day,niay plainly fee the whole Ifland of 
Sicily^ and all the Towns thereof, as 'twere elevated and hang- 
ing in the Air^near the Eyejjuft as, upon the account of Refra- 
(Stionjftones lying at the bottom of a pond appear nigh the fur^ 
face of the water* 
After this^in the Hiftory it felf of this Eruption he defcribcth 
particularly 3 
Firfl.ths. beginning of it5which happened on the Sch of March 
1669, accompanied with Earth-quakes, and a Rent of the 
ground of 12 miles long, and 5 or d foot broad, as alfo with a 
terrible noife, roaring and cracking, vaft globes of fmoak firft 
rifing into the Air, and abundance of fiery melted ftones being 
ejedied foon atterjwhich firft ran like a flood of fire, and over- 
whelmed in a ftiortfpace oftime 13 townSjbefidesapartof the 
City of Catania it felf, and afterwards were by the Air hardned 
hito vaft heaps of black and pumice- like ftones, there call'd 
Sciarra 5 wafting and fpoiling abundance of Vines,OIivcs, and 
other plants. 
The cafting out of the Afhes and Sand continued for ihree 
whole months without ceafing,and filled all the neighbouring 
country, and cover'd all the Trees thereof for i s miles about >• 
the fmalleft duft flying even over Sea into Calabria by a South- 
wind, and into the moft Southerns-parts of Sicily by a Norths 
wind. 
But then on the 2 5th of March , by a new Earth-quake the 
Top or Turret oiMonni Mtna it lelf fell in, whereby was made 
an Opening or Cauldron of three miles in cornpafs, and vaft 
quantities of new matter caft out^and amongft it,abundance of 
fiery fandjfalling down with a yet burning heat at 8 miles di- 
ftance from the Gauldrony whereupon the fame by particular 
view and obfervation was found widend to the circumference 
of 6 mile}* Mean while all confidering men there were amaz'd 
at the force throwing out to fo great a height fuch huge ftones, 
whereof one was meafur'd to be 60 palmes (or about 40 foot) 
longjwhich was fain down a mile from the Cauldron with that 
vioIence,that it was ftruck 50 palmes into the ground^ 
When this fiery Torrent ailaulted Catania it felf, and had a!* 
ready by its impetuofity forced from its place a whole hillock, 
planted with vincs,belonging to the Jefuks, and carryed them 
Ciqq 2 floating, 
