M o u NT A LNS.
Volcanoes.
Vefuvius.
the north and to the eaft. In the foirth of the.former territory of Modena.,
after giving rife.to the Panaro, and Reno, they proceed aim,oft ■
due eaft to the centre of Italy, where they*afford feurces to the Arno, and
the Tiber,, and thence pafs-S. E. to the extremiti.es-of Italy, generally
-approaching nearer to the Adriatic than to the Mediterranean. The
noted mount Gargano is, as it were, a fpur of the Apennines- to the
north of the gulph- of Manfredonia. I n f general the Apennines may
iatfeer he regarded a#hilfe'fhah as mountains. Ferber-’ fotmd theftv t!®
conftft, t-o the S.> o£ Bologna, of ftrattfied grey hard limefton©, with
& few petrifactions. Yet in the Genoefé 'territory, and Tufcany app
e a r not only the beautiful marble of Carrara, but rich Terpentine, hêrh
called Gabbro, with .fteatite and 'afbeftosi What is called'graqb-
tone is- alfo- found, cojafifting of white felfpar and green* mica.6 The
territory of Sienna prefehts^fbnae gramtie hills/ifith ïâafÆ/Tçrpgqtin©,
and- the noted yellow marble with ‘black" vëîès|®®ttdt at M'ont^Çb^,
and many metallic ores ; this diftridt beihgi after Kednasoota, perhaps; the
rieheft mineral region in Italy ; bat the hüîsddéim rather, diftinCfc than
connected with the Apehnmefri(%e^i from i^hlc&i they s»e;diiyidsd-by
the Ghiano, and the Tiber, the- moft noted; of4 hb Siennhfe bÜsi being
Monte Pulciano.
Having7 thus briefly confidered the chief raigesi tof Italian motmta&s,
thbfe fuMkne features dftbe country the yolçannes!ltanftfnfâï Be .©minted.
They only eeeur in the fouthern divifion, àiid have recently .received
fcientific illuftration from the able and accurate pen ofr. Spallanzani.
'Vefuvius is a ëonîte detached7 mountairf,>vâ b ^ t v^ |^ o :rffeët Mg^ biit.
feems chiefly calcareous, like the Apennines, as it frequently ejects
marble, calcareous- fpar, g-ypfum, and fimilar fubftances.7 The lava,
as ufuâl, is generally with a-bhfi.s. of Hornblende ; a fubftanee.-. vyhich
confife in a- great degree of iron, is- liable to eafy fufioni with;' fulphur :
•and it is fometimes mingled- with;felfpar,. quartz,: or granite,, feemingly
ejeCted from great depths. The terrors of an eruption, the: fub-
terranean thunders, the thickening fmoke, the ruddy flames, the fteny.
fhowers ejected- to a prodigious7 height, amidft the corrufcations of
- S Italy, j6 , 6 Ib .: 250. 7 Ferber, 139.
9 native
riatlyeRghtn&gi; the fthf oe^ o f the- mountain, the eruption o f the lava,
delcéndin^ in; à horrid abd copious ftreain of •dcftruCtifeh, have Ofex-
érciféd the pôw'érüi'of màhy - writers, but far exceed1 the utmoft-energy
;of dcfcriptibn.- t lt ip r M 0.1 : .T ;v g f i -, nk t , .
•* Yeti Ve&vius,.: placed, by the fide, of Etna,: would.feenria fmall esje&ed
..hill,■ th e whole circuit o f its bafej] riot exceeding;^:,miles, while Etna
covers a fpacd of a«:©, and its* height'above the Tea is* co n fu ted at about
feet;8. This, enormous mafs is furrbunded by. fmaller mountains,
feme ■ o f which7 equal Vefo-vius in fr/e ; and while the lava of the latter
mf7 ^fevolve ufe .ftream for' feven miles,-Ethal will emif a.liqui:d fire
. t h i r t y nliles -Ih ien-gthP - The crat’dr of Ve’fuyiius 'never exgeedshalf a
htile in- d irc um % e n cw h ile that of Etna: is-' comnibiily: three, and
| fix ™ilcs- - Spallanzani has- tninufely'defcrihed the crater
. .o f Etna, which many travellers .have p i e t ^ ^ t t '^ i v i h t l ; I t Was 1 an
oval, -. extending from £-. to- WppiiStefed Cy^varft'* fragmentsof 'lay aXand
fctat 1%‘y- the inner fides' being:bfl various dgclitiarij^i^^^ictMed'-'qyiih
cTaft^feol^.ped:fcafScfmidfls3-ef-thuriai::pfiaih'mbril«€. y> f tm -* bottom- wits
-a plain heariy^hompntiil, about7.twbrihirds'of.a'Wile indhmmferenfee,
w ith a large.earcnlarfaperture,ugiwn^vent 40 a 'column of white.ifmoke*.
-at the hpa:6m;iof whitJr;ywas \ vifible .ao h q u id a f e iy rm a ^ iH e . b e te l’
vboilingiih Y furnace;; iSdchds the^ ig h bm T uM a a th a td f e -. eruptions
rarely attain the Turn bait, b u t' more.' ufualiy.fbreaki .at th d Tides
Near the crater, begins7 the region o f perpetual fnow and ice; which is
followed b y the w o o d y rre ^ h q fey a ft- rofioaks,, beeches; € rs
•;and- pines, while-»iHe uppen is-alm-oft ^flqtiiiC;*>£: yegetation. In-, this
middliehdgio^fbiapbeai pSr_
■ticular diftiriguii&ed: br themame ^ t he circumfcYehcemf
which has -been fouhd to: be -204 f e e i/ iin' amazing phenomenon of- v d
:getation. Boloir.ieu has publiihed -a minute catalogue of all .the inhie-
« ' m * * - i l l fe w that the lavas o f Etna are’ mo% U j i w t ë r i^ ïe
: argues that the bafis b KqrpHÿ^:,.-Bu-ÿtfâfë! lavas {Dblomieu, • *12 ) - , '
iOcrÿita’ls of ftlfpat, to-that, it would be more .juft to irifeftthat the bafis Lii-ob. ore ® .wlth
| » v > y - ( ,
^ m
V o l c a n o e s .
Etna.
ral