( 2266 ) 
floating;together with the ioil bearing them, till it fo fwelled 
( as to cover and fink them all ; there appeared (ome gallant per- 
fons, who by their ingenuity and extraordinrry diligcnce^wiih 
fit InftxnmentSj and raifing vaft ftrong walls, diverted the 
courfe of the fiery ftream irom that City^but chiefly by bearing 
through the ftony heaps, and thereby making palfage for thai 
current another wayjand turning part of it into the Sea^ wherein 
it made a promontory of a mile's compafs before theTown» 
Icceafedby theiithofj^/^of the fame year it began: And 
in May of 16704 our Author himfelf could handle without hurt 
the inner parts of the Cauldron and the former Torrent, and 
faw not fo much a^ any fmoak remaining in the higheft part 
of that opening: Where yet he obfervethjthat notwithwand- 
ing this entire ceafing in the (aid places^ there were yet found 
in feveral parts of this newly ejedted Sciarra hot and ftrong- 
fmelling fumes arifing on high^ efpecially near the walls of the 
South' fide of where wells had been digged for water- 
ing their Garden fields. 
This being the Breviat of the Hiftory of this EruptioUj which 
the Author defcriheth with many other confiderable circum- 
ftanccs; we proceed to acquaint the Reader j that after this 
Defcription heexpatiateth into divers important fpeculations 
and remarks thereupon* 
And firfi he comments upon the Form,Confiftence3Bulk and 
Motion of the ejecSted matter ; taking particular notice of the 
great abundance of Sal Armoniac<^i\\zt was found in all the holes 
and vents of the ground, and in the clefts of ftones 5 and oh* 
ferving, that in three months time the fiery flood ran out 1» 
miles in Icngth3and5taking the medium^ one mile and two thirds 
of a mile in breadth^ and fl:opp'd at lafl:by the ceafing of new 
snattcr^and the cpndenfation of the liquid matter by the cooHng 
Air*, 
't^exty he compareth together the meafure of the frefllly 
ejedted matter with that of the Mountain, and finds it to equal 
Bear a fourteen thoufand part of the whole Mount. 
Thirdly^ he evinceth,. that Mount ^tna hath no fuch va3: 
deepcavitieSj, as fomeimagjnej within its bowels near the furr 
face of the Sea^but that there it is filled up with folid and fl:orjy 
matter, the huge weight of the fiiperincumbent hill rather com^ 
preffing it.than fufferiiigany confiderabje hollo.wnefles to coi> 
tinue thereico Fmrthly^^ 
