ee centuries and a half,
the mountain again entered into eruption. In February, 1169, occurred
one of the most disastrous eruptions on record. A violent earthquake,
which was felt as far as Reggio, occurred about dawn, and in a few
minutes Catania was a heap of ruins. It is estimated that 15,000 persons
were buried beneath the ruins. It was the vigil of the feast of S.
Agatha, and the Cathedral of Catania was crowded with people, who were
all buried beneath the ruins, together with the Bishop and forty-four
Benedictine monks. The side of the cone of the great crater towards
Taormina fell into the crater. At Messina the sea retired to some
distance from the shore, and then suddenly returned, overwhelming a
portion of the city, and sweeping away a number of persons who had fled
to the shore for safety. The clear and pure fountain of Arethusa at
Syracuse became muddy and brackish; while the fountain of Ajo, near the
village of Saraceni, ceased to flow for two hours, and then emitted
water of the colour of blood. Ludovico Aurelio states that the vines,
corn, and trees were burnt up over large districts.

19. According to Nicolo Speziale, there was a great eruption from the
eastern side of the mountain in 1181.

20. A stream of lava is said to have burst from the eastern side of the
mountain in 1285, when Charles of Anjou was on his death-bed, and to
have flowed fifteen miles.

21. In the year 1329 Niccolo Speziale was in Catania, and witnessed the
eruption of which he has left us an account. On the evening of June
28th, about the hour of vespers, Etna was strongly convulsed, terrible
noises were emitted, and flames issued from the south side of the
mountain. A new crater--Monte Lepre--opened in the Val del Bove above
the rock of Musarra, and emitted large quantities of dense black smoke.
Soon afterwards a torrent of lava poured from the crater, and red-hot
masses of rock were projected into the air. These effects continued till
the 15th of July, when a second crater opened ten miles to the S.E. of
Montelepre, and near the Church of S. Giovanni Paparometto. Soon after
four other craters opened around it, and emitted smoke and lava. The
sun was obscured from morning till evening by the smoke and ashes, and
the adjacent fields were burnt up by the hot sand and ashes. Multitudes
of birds and animals perished, and many persons are said to have died
from terror. The lava streams were divided into three portions, two of
which f