3 68 Sir William Hamilton’s Defcription 
to you, Sir, fome account of the only volcanic parts of this 
neighbourhood hitherto undefcribed, I determined to take 
advantage of the abfence of their Sicilian Majefties (who were 
then making the tour of Italy) and vifit thefe iflands. But be- 
fore I put this plan in execution, I made a long excurfion in 
the province of Abruzzo, as far as the Lake of Celano, an- 
ciently called Fucinus, and where the famous Emiffary of the 
Emperor Claudius (a moft ftupendous work * for draining 
that lake) remains nearly entire, though filled up with rubbifh 
and earth in many parts, and of courfe ufelefs. The water of 
this lake, which is more than 30 miles in circumference, in- 
creafes daily, and is deftroying the rich and cultivated plains 
on its borders. It is furrounded by very high mountains, 
many of them covered with fnow, and at the foot of them 
are many villages, and rich and well cultivated farms. Upon 
the -Avhole it is the moft beautiful lake I ever faw, and would be 
complete, if the neighbouring mountains were better wooded. 
This lake furnifhes abundance of fi(h, but not of the beft 
quality: a few large trout, but moftly tench, barbel, and 
dace. In the (hallow water on the borders of the lake, I faw 
thoufands of water fnakes, purfuing and preying upon a little 
filh like our thornbacks, but much better armed, though their 
defenfive weapons feemed to avail them but little againft fuch 
ravenous foes. 
I went with torches into the emiffary of Claudius as far as 
I could, dt is a covered under-ground canal, three miles long 9 
and great part of it cut through a hard rock ; the other parts 
fupported by mafonry, with wells funk to give air and light. 
* A defcription of this emiifary of Claudius, with plans (though not very 
exa£t) has been publifhed by Fabretti, in the fame book in which he has given 
an account of Trajan’s column. 
According 
