[ 6 ] 
a mile of St. Nicolo’, and by frequent explofions of 
ftones and afhes, railed there a mountain, which, as 
near as I can judge, having afcended it, is not lefs 
than half a mile perpendicular in height, and is 
certainly at leaft three miles in circumference at its 
“ fome places it hath made the valleys hills, and the hills 
“ that are not high are now valleys. When it was night, I 
“ went upon two towers, in divers places, and could plainly fee 
“ at ten miles diftance, as we judged, the fire to begin to run 
“ from the mountain in a ducc.qjjji^ the flame to afeend as 
“ high and as big as one of tne greateft fteeples in your ma- 
“ jelly’s kingdoms, and to throw up great (tones into the air ; i 
<c could difeern the river of fire to defeend the mountain of a 
“ terrible fiery or red colour, and (tones of a paler red to fwim 
“ thereon, and to be fogie as big as an ordinary table. We could 
“ fee this fire to move in feveral other places, and all the coun- 
“ try covered with fire, afeending with great flames, in many 
“ places, fmoaking like to a violent furnace of iron melted, 
“ making a noife with the great pieces that fell, efpecially thofe 
<c which fell into the fea. A cavalier of Malta, who lives there, 
“ and attended me, told me, that the river was as liquid where 
“ it iflues out of the mountain, as water, and came out like a 
“ torrent with great violence, and is five or fix fathom deep, 
and as broad, and that no ilones fi; k therein. I allure your 
“ majefty, no pen can exprefs how terrible it is, nor can all 
“ the art and induftry of the world quench or divert that which 
“ is burning in the country. In 40 days time it hath dellroyed 
“ the habitations of 27,000 peifons, made two hills of one, 
“ 1000 paces high apiece, and one is four miles in compafs ; 
of 20,000 perfons, which mhabitjpatania, 3000 did only re- 
“ main j all their goods are carried away, the cannons of bra(s 
c ‘ are removed out of the caftle, fome great bells taken down, 
“ the ciry-gates walled up next the fire, and preparations made 
“ to abandon the city. 
“ That night which I lay there, it rained a(hcs all over the 
“ city, and len miles at fea it troubled my eyes. This fire in 
<c its .progrefs met with a lake of four miles in compafs, and it 
“ was not only fatisfied to fill it up, though it wa.> four fathom 
deep, but hath made of it -a mountain.” 
balls. 
