4*2 
E T N 
fire, fcorise, and lava. In the evening conical flames ap¬ 
peared alternately to rife and fall from the volcano ; at 
three the next morning the mountain feemed to be cleft, 
and the fummit was a burning mafs. Two of the coni¬ 
cal flames, viz. one on the north and another on the 
loutli, were of an immenfe extent; where thefe fepa- 
rated, another cone of flame, compofed of many fmaller 
ones, appeared to afcend above the mountain over a bale 
of about a mile and a half in diameter to a height fup- 
pofed to be about two miles. This cone was covered 
with a thick fmoke, in which were feen very brilliant 
flafhes of lightning; a phenomenon which had not been 
obferved in other eruptions. Sounds refembling the ex- 
plofions of a large cannon were alfo occaiionally heard. 
From the cone, as from a fountain, there was perceived 
a jet of many flaming volcanic matters, which were 
thrown to the diflance of fix or feven miles ; and from 
the bafe of the cone there iffued a thick fmoke, which 
darkened parts of the flame, at the time when the rivers 
of lava were difcharged. This awful yet beautiful ap¬ 
pearance continued for three quarters of an hour. It 
began the next night with greater force, but laded only 
for half an hour. In the intervals Etna continued to 
throw out flames, fmoke, ignited ftones, and (bowers of 
fand. From the 20th to the 22d, the appearances gra¬ 
dually ceal'ed. The dream of lava flowed towards Bronte 
and the plain of Lago. After the eruption, the weflern 
fide of the top of the mountain was covered with har¬ 
dened lava, fcoriae, and fiones. The lava on the weflern 
head of the mountain had been evidently in a (late of fu- 
fion ; and from one of the fpiracula, the odour was that 
of liver of fulphur. The thermometer in defcending 
was at 40 0 . of Fahrenheit’s fcale ; but near the lava, on 
the plain of Lago, it was 140 0 . The lava extended two 
miles ; its breadth was from 13! to 21 feet, and its depth 
J3| feet. There was another eruption in October, 17S7 ; 
the etfeCts of which are defcribed by the Abbe Spallan¬ 
zani. The flream of lava that ifliied on this occafion, 
from the great crater, was three miles in length ; its 
breadth was in fome places about aquarterof a mile, and 
in others one third, and in other parts ftill greater: its 
greateft depth was about eighteen feet, and the lead: fix. 
Its courfe was along the weft fide of the mountain; and 
the effervefcence that it produced was, like that of July, 
extremely violent. The fcoriae were, like that of the 
torrent in July, of a black colour ; but differed from them 
in their adhefion to the lava, in their external vitreous 
appearance, their greater weight, and their hardnefs, 
which was fitch as to yield (parks with fteel, almoft as 
plentifully as flints. Thefe differences are afcribed to ac¬ 
cidental combinations of the fame fubftance ; the condi¬ 
ment principles of both thefe fcoriae being the fame. 
Both contained the fame feltfpar lamellae. The lad ac¬ 
counts we have of thefe terrific fymptoms, happened on 
the loth of Auguft, 1S04, when Mount Etna ceafed, for 
twenty-four hours, even to emit fmoke, but this calm 
was fucceeded, on the 12th, early in the morning, with a 
terrible explodon, and a noife as if millions of cannons 
had been fired at once. A fliower of fire extended for 
three leagues round Etna, from the burning materials 
thrown up by this mountain ; and the lava fkirted the 
borders of Bronte, the eflate granted by the king of Na¬ 
ples, with the title, to lord Nelfon. No earthquake had 
been experienced ; but a fubterraneous found, like thun¬ 
der, was heard all over Sicily, particularly at and near 
Medina. For the original formation of burning- moun¬ 
tains, fee the article Earth, vol. vi. p. 1S2, &c. And 
for the caufe of volcanoes, fee the article Earthquake, 
p. 216, of the fame volume. 
ET'NA, a name anciently given to a city of Sicily, 
founded by Hiero of Syracufe, in the id year of the 76th 
olympiad, on the ruins of Catana ; which was difpoflefied 
of its primitive inhabitants. After the death of Hiero, 
the Catanians returned, expelled the new occupiers, and 
deftroyed the fepulchre of the Syracufan monarch. The 
2 
E T O 
Emeans retired to lnnefa, or Ennejia , which was the name 
given to mount Etna, and which was diflant about eighty 
fladia from Catana. 
ETO'II.E, a town of France, in the department of 
Drome, and chief place of a canton, in the diftriCt of 
Valence : three leagues north-wed of Cred. 
ETO'LIA, a province of ancient Greece, which for¬ 
merly comprehended the country now called the Defpotat, 
or Little Greece, ft was parted on the eafl by the river 
Evenus, now the Fidari, from the Locrenfes Ozolae, and 
on the wed from Acarnania by the Achelous; on the 
north it bordered upon the country of the Dorians and 
part of Epirus, and on the fouth extended to the bay of 
Corinth. Its utmofl extent from north to fouth was 
about forty-eight miles ; and from ead to wed fomewhat 
above twenty miles. According to Strabo it was cuftom- 
ary to divide Etolia into two didridts, the one called the 
ancient Etolia, which lay between the rivers Achelous 
and Calydon on the Evenus; and the other denominated 
swixhilo?, or the acquired, which was contiguous to the Lo- 
crians, towards Naupadtus and Eupalius, and extended 
northwards towards the mountain Oeta. He alfo informs 
us that it derived its name from Etolus, the fon of Endy- 
mion, who being compelled to leave Elis, removed to 
this country, and founded feveral cities in it; of which 
the principal were Thermus, Calydon, and Pleuron. 
Their only fea-port was Oenias on the Corinthian bay. 
Of their kings, who fucceeded Etolus, little more is 
known than their names. It does not appear by whom it 
was inhabited before Etolus took pofleflion of it; and its 
fubfequent hiflory for feveral ages is very obfcure and 
doubtful. Ancient writers reprefent the Etolians as the 
greated robbers in Greece, and as continuing fuch for 
many centuries, after Hercules, Thefeus, and other he¬ 
roes, had extirpated thofe banditti every where elfe ; to 
them Strabo afcribcs the invention of the fling. Livy 
defcribes them as arrogant and ungrateful people, but as 
good warriors ; and they are faid to have fought with one 
dioe, whence the epithet has been applied 
to them. 
The conditution of the Etolian republic was formed in 
imitation of that of the Achasans, and with a view of 
counteracting their growing power. It was governed by 
a general aflembly, a praetor, and other magidrates of 
inferior rank and authority. The general aflembly ufiu 
ally met once a year, and on extraordinary occafions it 
was fummoned by the praetor more frequently ; and this 
national council podefied the whole power of enaCting 
laws, declaring war, making peace, and concluding alli¬ 
ances with other ftates. Each city of the Etolian alliance 
deputed members, compofing a council which was called 
the Anocleti, and which confided of the mod eminent 
men of tlie nation, wh.ofe office refembled that of the de- 
muirgi among the Achaeans. Their^hief magidrates, in 
fubordination to the praetor, where the general of the 
horfe, the public fecretary, and the ephori. The repub¬ 
lic of Etolia, thus formed and governed, didinguidicd 
itfelf above all the other nations of Greece, in oppofing 
the ambitious defigns of the Macedonian princes. Hav¬ 
ing kindled the Cleomenic war, and that of the aide's, 
called the Social war, in the heart of Peloponnefus, with 
a view of humbling their antagonifls the Achaeans, they 
refided for three years, with the abidance of the Eleans 
and Lacedaemonians, the united forces of Achaia and 
Macedon ; but they were at lad obliged to purehafe a 
peace by furrendering to Philip the whole of Acarnania. 
But as they gave it up with reluctance, they were anxi¬ 
ous to feize the firfl favourable opportunity that occurred 
for regaining it. With this view they concluded an alli¬ 
ance with the Romans. Hodilities immediately com¬ 
menced, as foon as the treaty was concluded. Whilfl the 
forces of Philip were employed in Macedon, the Etolians 
entered Acarnania; where they found a very determined 
and vigorous oppofition.. Notwithdanding the abidance 
which they were likely to derive from Lsevinus, the Ro¬ 
man 
