The Project Gutenberg EBook of Etna, by G. F. Rodwell

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Title: Etna
A History of the Mountain and of its Eruptions

Author: G. F. Rodwell

Release Date: March 30, 2010 [EBook #31827]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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ETNA.

[Illustration: View of Etna from Catania]

ETNA

_A HISTORY OF THE MOUNTAIN AND
OF ITS ERUPTIONS._

BY

G. F. RODWELL,

SCIENCE MASTER IN MARLBOROUGH COLLEGE.

WITH MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

[Illustration]

LONDON

C. KEGAN PAUL & CO., 1, PATERNOSTER SQUARE

1878

[_The rights of translation and of reproduction are reserved._]

I DEDICATE THIS BOOK

TO

MY MOTHER.

PREFACE.

While preparing an account of MOUNT ETNA for the Encyclopaedia
Britannica, I was surprised to find that there exists no single work in
the English language devoted to the history of the most famous volcano
in the world. I was consequently induced to considerably enlarge the
Encyclopaedia article, and the following pages are the result. The facts
recorded have been collected from various sources--German, French,
Italian, and English, and from my own observations made during the
summer of 1877. I desire to express my indebtedness to Mr. Frank Rutley,
of H.M. Geological Survey, for his careful examination of the lavas
which were collected during my ascent of the mountain, and for the
account which he has written of them; also to Mr. John Murray for
permission to copy figures from Lyell's "Principles of Geology." My
thanks are also due to Mr. George Dennis, H.M. Consul-General in Sicily;
Mr. Robert O. Franck, Vice-Consul in Catania; and to Prof. Orazio
Silvestri, for information with which they have severally supplied me.

G. F. RODWELL.

MARLBOROUGH,

_September 6th, 1878._

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER