found
near the summit of the mountain in 1828. In November 1758, a smart shock
of earthquake caused the cone of the great crater to fall in, but no
eruption occurred at the time.

54. Great quantities of ashes, and some small streams of lava, were
emitted from the crater in 1759, a little later the cone, which had been
again raised by the eruption, gave way, and the greater part of it fell
into the crater. Two parts of it however were left standing.

55. Severe shocks of earthquakes were felt on the east side of the
mountain in 1763, and a new mouth opened in the Bosco di Bronte, ten
miles from the town, between Monte Rosso and Monte Lepre. Four other
mouths were afterwards opened in a line; they threw up quantities of
scoriae and ashes, and afterwards lava. In the middle of June several
mouths opened on the south side of the mountain, and a fissure 2000 feet
long opened downwards in a southerly direction. The lava divided into
two branches, the larger of which was ten miles long and 250 feet wide,
with a depth of 25 feet.

56. Several new mouths opened in the spring of 1766, and ejected large
volumes of ashes, also streams of lava, which flowed in the direction of
Nicolosi and Pedara. The Canon Recupero, one of the historians of Etna,
witnessed this eruption, and narrowly escaped being destroyed. He had
ascended a small hill 50 feet high, of ancient volcanic matter, in order
to witness the approach of the lava stream which was slowly advancing
with a front of two miles and a half. Suddenly two small streams
detached themselves from the main stream, and ran rapidly towards the
hill. Recupero and his guide at once hastened to descend, and had
barely escaped when they saw the hill surrounded by lava, and in a few
minutes it was melted down and sank into the molten mass.

57. In the early part of 1780, earthquakes were felt all over Sicily,
and on the 18th of May a fissure opened on the south-west side of the
mountain, and extended from the base of the great crater for seven
miles, terminating in a new mouth from which a stream of lava emanated.
This encountered the cone of Palmintelli in its course, and separated
into two branches, each of which was 400 feet wide. Other mouths opened
later in the year, and emitted large quantities of lava, which
devastated the country of Montemazzo.

58. In 1781 the volcano emitted a quantity of lava which flowed into the
Val del Bove. Clouds of grey ashes were also ejected. At the