We now proceed to describe the celebrated Mount Etna.

Now Etna roars with dreadful ruins nigh,

Now hurls a bursting cloud of cinders high,

Involv'd in smoky whirlwinds to the sky;

With loud displosion to the starry frame,

Shoots fiery globes and furious floods of flame;

Now from her bellowing caverns burst away

Vast piles of melted rocks in open day.

Her shatter'd entrails wide the mountain throws,

And deep as hell her flaming centre glows. Warton.

Etna is a famous volcanic or burning mountain in Sicily, situated on the eastern coast, not far from Catania. The height of this mountain is more than 10,000 feet above the level of the sea, and its circumference at the base is 180 miles. Over its sides are seventy-seven cities, towns, and villages, the number of the inhabitants of which is about 115,000. From Catania to the summit, the distance is thirty miles; and the traveller must pass through three distinct climates, which may be denominated the torrid, the temperate, and the frigid. Accordingly, the whole mountain is divided into three distinct regions, called the fertile, the woody, and the barren.

The first, or lowest region, extends through a beautiful ascent from twelve to eighteen miles. The city of Catania, and several villages, are situated in this first zone, and it aboun is in pastures, orchards, and various kinds of fruit trees

Its great fertility is ascribed to the decomposition of lava, and of those vegetables which have been introduced by the arts of agriculture, and the exertions of human industry. The figs and fruit in general, in this part, are reckoned the finest in Sicily. The lava of this region flows from a number of small mountains, which are dispersed over the immense declivity of Etna.

The woody region, or temperate zone, extends from eight to ten miles in a direct line, towards the top of the mountain; and comprehends a surface of about forty or forty-five square leagues. It forms a zone of the brightest green all around the mountain, which exhibits a pleasing contrast to its white and hoary summits. It is called the woody region, because it abounds with oaks, beeches, and firs. The soil is similar to that of the lower region; the air is cool and refreshing, and every breeze is loaded with a thousand perfumes, the whole ground being covered over with the richest aromatic plants. Many parts of this space are the most heavenly spots upon earth; and if Etna resemble Hell within, it may with equal justice be said to resemble Paradise without

The upper region, called the frigid zone, is marked out by a circle of snow and ice. The surface of this zone is for the most part flat and even, and the approach to it is indicated by the decline of vegetation, by uncovered rocks of lava and heaps of sand, by near views of an expanse of snow and ice, as well as of torrents of smoke issuing from the crater of the mountain, and by the difficulty and danger of advancing amidst streams of melted snow, sheets of ice, and gusts of chilling wind. The curious traveller, however, thinks himself amply recompensed, upon gaining the summit, for the peril which he has encountered. At night, the number of stars seem increased, and their light appears brighter than usual. The lustre of the milky-way is like a pure flame, that shoots across the heavens, and with the naked eye we may observe clusters of stars totally invisible in the lower regions.

Dr. Woodward mentions the existence of volcanoes as a special favour of Providence, and says, "There are scarcely any countries, that are much annoyed with earthquakes, that have not one of these fiery vents. And these are constantly all in flames whenever any earthquake happens, as they disgorge that fire, which, whilst underneath, was the cause of the disaster. Indeed, (saith he,) were it not for these diverticula, whereby it thus gains an exit, it would rage in the bowels of the earth much more furiouslv, and make greater havock than it now does. So that, though those countries where there are such volcanoes are usually more or less troubled with earthquakes; yet, were these volcanoes wanting, they would be much more annoyed with them than they now are, vea, in all probability, to that degree as to render the earth, for a vast space around them, perfectly uninhabitable. In one word, so beneficial are these to the territories where they are, that there do not want instances of some which have been rescued from earthquakes by the breaking forth of a new volcano there; this continually discharging that matter, which being till then barricaded up and imprisoned in the bowels of the earth, was the occasion of very great and frequent calamities."

In every case, where we cannot discern the beneficent tendency of particular phenomena in the universe, we ought to attribute this to our limited capacities, and not arraign the almighty Sovereign. However dreadful and destructive subterraneous fires may appear; on proper reflection, it may be inferred that they are as necessary in promoting and sustaining the operations of this part of the universe, as the natural heat in men's bodies is to the preservation and support of their being.