646 
.SITN A. 
Several new craters were formed in llie year 1780, one of them^ 
almost two miles below the opening of 1766; and from February to 
May continual convulsions occurred, and quantities of pumice stones 
and sand were discharged. The most considerable crater was formed 
on the twenty-third of the last-mentioned month, on Mount Fumento, 
on the summit of ; a stream of lava was ejected on this occasion, 
which spread at the rate of a mile in a day through the valley of 
Landunza. The lava issuing from two other openings, diffused itself 
to the distance of seven miles in six days. From another crater, pro- 
duced on tile twenty-fifth, red-hot stones were projected to a great 
distance, and a stream of fire ran over a tract of country, two miles 
in extent, in a very short space of time. 
Gioeni has given an accurate account of another eruption, which 
happened in the month of July, 1787, which was preceded for sixteen 
or seventeen days by the ordinary indications. On the seventeenth, 
after several slight shocks of earthquake, lava began'to flow from the 
back part of one of the two hills which form the double head of ^tna. 
On the following day, after some hours of tranqiliHity, the subterraneous 
commotions increased, the smoke thickened, till at length there fell 
a shower of fine brilliant black sand ; on (lie eastern side, a quantity 
of stones were thrown out, and flashes of fire, accompanied with a 
flood of scori^e and lava, were observed at the foot of the mountain. 
About sun-set, conical flames issued from the volcano in different 
directions, alternately rising and falling ; and at three o’clock in the 
morning, the mountain had the appearance of being cleft, while the 
upper part seemed one burning mass. Two of the flames were of 
vast extent, and the intermediate space was occupied by another, 
composed of several minor flames, ascending, from a base of a mile 
and a half ira diameter, to the height of two miles. A phenomenon, 
hitherto unobserved in former conflagrations, w’as there exhibited. 
The cone was covered with a very thick smoke, which was pervaded 
with brilliant flashes of lightning, and sounds were frequently heard 
resembling the explosion of large cannon. A jet of flaming volcanic 
substances was thrown from the cone, as from a fountain, to the 
distance of six or seven miles ; and so thick a smoke issued from the 
base of the cone, as to obscure considerable portions of the flame 
when the lava was discharged. This beautiful scene lasted three- 
quarters of an hour ; it began again, and with greater force, the next 
night, but was then of much shorter duration ; flames, 'smoke, and 
ignited matter, in showers, were projected during the intervals. After 
the eruption, the summit of the mountain, on the w'estern side, was 
overspread with hardened lava, scoria?, stones, and smoke; mephitic 
vapours, show'ers of sand, and intense heat, continued their annoying 
operations. The lava on the west separated into tw'o branches ; the 
one of which proceeded towards Libeccio, the other in the direction 
ot Bronte and the plain of Lago. It had evidently been in a state of 
fusion ; and the fume of sulphur was emitted from one of the spira- 
cules. The breadth of tlie lava was nearly from fourteen to twenty- 
one feet, its depth thirt^’en foci and three-quarters, and its extent two 
miles. 
In October of the same year, another eruption occurred, which 
