Note 20 — LETTER IV.

It is intituled, "A true and exact relation of the late prodigious earthquake and eruption of Mount Ætna, or Monte Gibello; as it came in a letter written to his Majesty from Naples, by the Right Honourable the Earl of Winchelsea, his Majesty's late Embassador at Constantinople, who, in his return from thence, visiting Catania in the island of Sicily, was an eye-witness of that dreadful spectacle; together with a more particular narrative of the same, as it is collected out of the several relations sent from Catania; published by authority. Printed by T. Newcomb, in the Savoy, 1669."

"I accepted, says the author, p. 38, the invitation of the Bishop of Catania, to stay a day with him, that so I might be the better able to inform your Majesty of that extraordinary fire, which comes from Mount Gibel, fifteen miles distant from that city, which, for its horridness in the aspect, for the vast quantity thereof (for it is fifteen miles in length, and seven in breadth), for its monstrous devastation and quick progress, may be termed an inundation of fire, a flood of fire, cinders, and burning stones, burning with that rage as to advance into the sea six hundred yards, and that to a mile in breadth, which I saw; and that which did augment my admiration was, to see in the sea this matter like ragged rocks, burning in four fathom water, two fathom higher than the sea itself, some parts liquid, and throwing off, not with great violence, the stones about it, which, like a crust of a vast bigness, and red hot, fell into the sea every moment, in some place or other, causing a great and horrible noise, smoak, and hissing in the sea; and that more and more coming after it, making a firm foundation in the sea itself. I stayed there from nine a clock on Saturday morning, to seven next morning;" (this must have been towards the middle or latter end of April;) "and this mountain of fire and stones with cinders had advanced into the sea twenty yards at least, in several places; in the middle of this fire, which burnt in the sea, it hath formed like to a river, with its banks on each side very steep and craggy; and in this channel moves the greatest quantity of this fire, which is the most liquid, with stones of the same composition, and cinders all red hot, swimming upon the fire of a great magnitude; from this a river of fire doth proceed under the great mass of the stones, which are generally three fathoms high all over the country, where it burns, and in other places much more. There are secret conduits or rivulets of the liquid matter, which communicates fire and heat into all parts more or less, and melts the stones and cinders by fits in those places where it toucheth them, over and over again; where it meets with rocks or houses of the same matter (as many are), they melt and go away with the fire; where they find other compositions, they turn them to lime or ashes (as I am informed). The composition of this fire, stones, and cinders, are sulphur, nitre, quicksilver, sal ammoniac, lead, iron, brass, and all other metals. It moves not regularly, nor constantly down hill[48]; in some places it hath made the vallies hills, and the hills that are not high are now vallies. When it was night, I went upon two towers, in divers places; and could plainly see at ten miles distance, as we judged, the fire to begin to run from the mountain in a direct line, the flame to ascend as high and as big as one of the greatest steeples in your Majesty's kingdoms, and to throw up great stones into the air; I could discern the river of fire to descend the mountain of a terrible fiery or red colour, and stones of a paler red to swim thereon, and to be some as big as an ordinary table. We could see this fire to move in several other places, and all the country covered with fire, ascending with great flames[49], in many places, smoaking like to a violent furnace of iron melted, making a noise with the great pieces that fell, especially those which fell into the sea. A Cavalier of Malta, who lives there, and attended me, told me, that the river was as liquid where it issues out of the mountain, as water, and came out like a torrent with great violence, and is five or six fathom deep, and as broad, and that no stones sink therein. I assure your Majesty, no pen can express how terrible it is, nor can all the art and industry of the world quench or divert that which is burning in the country. In forty days time, it hath destroyed the habitations of 27,000 persons; made two hills of one, 1000 paces high apiece, and one is four miles in compass; of 20,000 persons, which inhabit Catania, 3000 did only remain; all their goods are carried away, the cannons of brass are removed out of the castle, some great bells taken down, the city-gates walled up next the fire, and preparations made to abandon the city.

"That night which I lay there, it rained ashes all over the city, and ten miles at sea it troubled my eyes. This fire in its progress met with a lake of four miles in compass; and it was not only satisfied to fill it up, though it was four fathom deep, but hath made of it a mountain."