252 
DR. DAVY’S FURTHER NOTICE 
the shore on the 11th July; that a few days previous, two or three slight 
shocks of an earthquake were felt along the coast from Sciacca to Marsala ; 
that about a fortnight after, the air became dark and loaded with vapours, 
which at Sciacca had a distinct sulphureous smell ; that the noise of the ex- 
plosions was sometimes heard as far as Mazzara ; and lastly, that the baths of 
Sciacca were a little hotter than usual. 
These are all the additional particulars I have been able to collect which are 
deserving of credit. I have seen some fresh specimens brought from the vol- 
cano since my first account was drawn up ; but they have proved, on examina- 
tion, so very similar to those described in it, that they do not require particular 
notice. It may be, perhaps, not undeserving of mention, that two or three 
pretty large masses of vesicular lava were found amongst the loose ashes and 
cinders of the crater. The largest that I have seen or heard of weighed twenty- 
seven pounds ; it was in the possession of Captain Senhouse, and resembled 
exactly the small fragments which I received from him, and which I have 
already noticed. Its appearance indicated that it had been thrown up in a 
solid state, after its angles had been worn like those of water-worn stones. 
Whether it is to be considered as a water-worn stone analogous to the dolo- 
mite pebbles alluded to in my paper, previously existing at the bottom of the 
sea, or of recent formation in the interior of the crater, or detached from an 
old bed of lava and worn by attrition during the eruption, it is difficult to 
decide. 
When a remarkable phenomenon occurs, anything unusual happening at the 
same time is apt to be attributed to it, especially if there is any kind of ana- 
logy between them. The last summer in Malta was unusually hot ; the ther- 
mometer exposed to the wind, more than once rose to 105° of Fahrenheit ; 
this was generally supposed to be owing to the volcano. In the month of 
August a singular appearance was witnessed in the heavens, many evenings 
successively, both here and in Sicily ; soon after sunset the western sky became 
of a dark lurid red, which extended almost to the zenith, and continued gra- 
dually diminishing in extent and intensity even beyond the limit of twilight. 
This phenomenon, too, was attributed to the volcano ; and was supposed by 
many people, whom it greatly alarmed, to be portentous of some impending 
calamity, and especially of the invasion of the epidemic cholera. Whether 
