mm A. 645 
distance; and though the greatest part was destroyed, some of it 
remains to this day. 
A new burning gulf was opened on the top of tlie mountain in 
December, 1682, which diffused its lava over the hill Mazarra. 
In the evening of the twenty-fourth of May, 1686, an eruption took 
place, which consumed woods, vineyards, and corn-fields to the extent 
of four leagues, till its course was arrested by a large valley near the 
castle of Mascali ; but unhappily several people, impelled by curiosity, 
having ascended a hill in the neighbourhood near the wood of Cata- 
nia, w'ere buried alive by its sinking inwards. 
In 1755 the eruptions of iEtna w'ere renewed after a long interval, 
when a vast quantity of boiling water issued forth from the great 
crater, preceded by smoke, flames, subterraneous commotions, and 
other usual signs of an approaching catastrophe. The torrent at 
length descended in cataracts from rock to rock till it reached the 
plains, which it overspread with desolation for many miles, and finally 
discharged itself into the sea. Although the w ater was not emitted 
for more than half an hour, its effects were extremely calamitous, 
and two new chasms were subsequently opened, from which lava 
issued. The water proceeded from the bowels of the mountain, and 
in its progress from the summit gained considerably from the melted 
snow. It destroyed forest trees of large size, tearing them up by the 
roots as it rushed along. The main torrent divided into four streams, 
which reuniting afterwards, formed islands and rivers nine hundred 
feet in width. In the descent the channel sometimes dilated, and at 
others contracted ; in some places it was found to be fifteen hundred 
feet wide. Lava and pieces of rock were driven about by the violence 
of the current, and valleys filled up by the sand which was conveyed, 
A few days afterwards an explosion happened of stones and black 
sand ; the former of which was carried as far as the hills of Mascali, 
and the latter to Messina, and even to Reggio on the opposite coast. 
Two days only elapsed, when the mountain opened again, and discharged 
a torrent of lava for six days, w'hich was observed to proceed towards 
the plain happily at the rate of only a mile per day. 
In 1763 an eruption happened, which lasted, with some intermission, 
for three months, and was attended with very interesting and novel 
circumstances. The flame which issued from the crater assumed a 
pyramidical form, and ascended to a prodigious height in the atmo- 
sphere, resembling an artificial fire-work of great beauty, and accom- 
panied by explosions which shook the very ground where the 
spectators ventured to assemble. Sometimes the clouds of smoke 
were of a silver colour, and at other times, when it caught the sun’s 
rays, it exhibited a purple hue. The lava afforded a very beautiful 
light as it ran down the sides of the mountain, and continued in a 
heated state, exhaling smoke for tw'o years. It was remarked, that 
for five years afterwards snow did not re-appear on the summit. 
In 1766 a new crater was opened at the grotto of Paterno, from 
which lava issued in quantities sufficient to form a hill, which, four 
years afterwards, gave decisive indications, by smoke and noise, of 
its volcanic powers. During all this period the lava did not become 
cool, nor the fire extinct. 
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