202 
prevailed on the Sicilians to {wear alle- 
giance to his fon, Don James, as his law- 
ful fucceflor and heir: and henceforward, 
though not without interruption, the 
crown of Sicily may be confidered as 
merging in that of Arragon or Spain. 
Eruptions of Etna on record, as enumerat- 
ed by Fazellus, together with thofe which 
bave occurred fince his Time. 
Being ignorant of the date of the firft 
eruption, he begins by obferving, as Pau- 
fanias alfo has done, that in the time of 
the Sicani, who, after the Aborigines, 
were mafters of all Sicily, the continual 
and deitructive eruptions of the mountain 
obliged the inhabitants to retire from the 
eaft fide of the Ifland, as moft expofed to 
its malignant effeéts, to the weit fide. 
The Siculi, or Sicilians, who fucceeded in 
the domination of the Ifland to the Sicant, 
have leit no precife dates of eruptions ; 
but when the Greeks were mafters of the 
Tfland, three happened betwcen the time 
of their firft arrival and the fixth year of 
the Peloponnefian war ; that is, between the 
years 730 and 430, before Chrift. Others 
followed in 402, 152, and 125. This 
Jaft was fo peculiarly fatal to the city of 
Catania, that the Roman fenate, in com- 
mileration of the injuries they had fuftain- 
ed by it, remitted all] tribute due from the 
inhabitants to the republic for ten years. 
This and the two following were, proba- 
bly, the eruptions that buried thofe parts 
of old Catania, from which the late Prince 
of Bifcarri drew the antiquities with which 
his mufeum is ftored. For the next re- 
corded by Fazellus happened in the reign 
of Caligula. Another in A. D. -264. 
Among a variety of others, not fpecifi- 
cally dated, one occurred in which the 
Java flowed into the fea, and filled up the 
harbour of Catania: an irreparable injury, 
as this fine city, though built even on the 
water's edge, has no port, or harbour, 
whatever. , Orher eruptions happened in 
4169, 1329, and 1444. From this time, 
for fome years, the mountain ceafed to 
emit fie or fmoke; infomuch, that the 
mountaineers occafionally explored the cra- 
ter without inconvenience. But, as the 
hiftorian exprefies himfelf, ¢* zaconjians hee 
manfuetudo furt,’’ for a terrible eruption 
‘happened in 1536. In too curioufly ex- 
ploring the mountain, about this time, a 
sat phyfician of this country loft his 
life. 
This eruption was fucceeded by one in 
1537- Since the time of our hiftorian, a 
moft deftruétive one happened in 1669. 
This broke out from the fide of the moun- 
Account of a recent Voyage to Malta and Sicily. 
roa. qs 
tain, as moft preceding ones had done, at 
the diftance of fourteen miles from the 
fummit :—a fmall crater mountain, now. 
called Monte Roffo, from its red calcined 
hue, one mile in circumference at its bale, 
was formed on this occafion, out of whiea 
_ flowed a tremendous torrent of fiery lava, 
half a mile broad, that overwhelmed a 
great part of the city of Catania, and there 
met the fea. 
There ftands in Catania a fmall old 
caftle, round which this lava chanced to 
form almoft a complete detour, leaving 
the caftle itfelf, buile of hewn blocks of 
former lavas, uninjured. This is the 
ftream whofe hideous deformity at this 
day, devoid of vegetable depofit, fill dif 
figures the fouth and weftern border of 
Catania, and on which a confiderable part 
of the new and noble city of modern 
Catania is ereéted. 
Another great ftream of lava iffued from 
the mountain in 1693, accompanied by an 
earthquake, which proved fatal to a great 
part of Catania, and to fome thoufands of 
its inhabitants. Other ftreams of lava 
have burft from the mountain fince that 
period, but productive of lefs extenfive 
defolation. One of very recent date, that 
fkirted the borders of Bronti, the eflate 
granted by the King of Naples, with the 
title, to Lord Nelfon, was vibble from the 
{pot where we made our repaft. This 
and other objects we enjoyed the view of, 
till the neceflity of a fpeedy return to our 
convent obliged us to refume our ride 
down the mountain. We remounted our 
mules, and almoft overcome with the heat 
of the fun in traverfing a hideous plain of 
cinereous lava, two miles bread at the foot 
of the mountain, we reached the convent 
at fix in the evening. 
Next morning a flight fever detained 
me at the convent, which increafed to- 
wards night. I remained, therefore, alone 
to recover in this quiet little retirement 
for four days; mean time, my feet fuffer-- 
ed extremely, and the fkin of my face peel- 
ed cff entirely. By the kindnefs of Pro- 
vidence, and the civil attentions of the 
very few refident members of this little 
religious efiablifhment, I recovered fum- 
cient ftrength, in four or five days, to fol- 
low my companions, and with one faith- 
ful guide, my muleteer, June gth, as foon 
as we could difpofe ourfelves and our 
baggage conveniently on two mules, I 
left the convent. r 
We pafled along the numerous villages, 
vineyards, and orchards, that wind round 
the eaft fide of Etna for ten miles, when 
we halted to gather fome delicious cher- 
: ries 
