The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-24 00:00:00

ERUPTION OF ETNA.

4.—Zaffarana has been and still
is in considerable danger—by last accounts the lava
was at a very short distance from it, and apparently
nothing but the interposition of Providence could
save it. The soil, on the sides of Etna generally, is
full of undulations, in some places mere hillocks, in
other places hills, caused by lava, or scoria, from pre-
vious eruptions. The lava, as it flows on in its down-
ward course, is naturally turned aside by these undu-
lations or irregularities, and some hill or obstacle,
may possibly turn aside the lava ere it reach Zaffa-
rana. I may here mention that it is calculated that
the course of the lava since the eruption first broke
out, is, owing to its devious course, caused by the
undulation alluded to above, full sixteen miles, while
the distance in a straight line, does not exceed three
miles. The first stream of lava, after nearly reaching
Zaffarana, suddenly ceased, as if the eruption were at
an end. It is a second stream, flowing on the first,
which now causes so much alarm. Great damage has
already been donelto the vineyards and chestnut woods
on the scope of the mountain, and it is to be feared
that the damage will still be very considerable, even
if Zaffarana escape. This village and Ballo, a suburb
thereof, have been deserted by the inhabitants, and
several houses higher up than it have been already
destroyed.

Yesterday evening, and the whole of today,
Catania has been visited by a heavy shower of black
ashes from the mountain, to such an extent that it is
perfectly disagreeable to be in the streets. 0 wing
to this cloud of ashes the mountain has been nearly
invisible to us, but we are warned by the conti-
nuous heavy explosions that it is still in a very active
state.

Curiosity has carried, and is daily carrying a large
number of Catanese to Zaffarana; there, however,
little more than the stream of lava is visible, I made
a trip on Saturday afternoon to Tre Castagne, three
hours' drive distant from Catania, thence on a mule
and on foot through the Bosco and over the lava of
1819, to the summit of Monte Pumiciaro, a trip of
four hours and a half. From its summit we bad
a glorious sight of the two newly-formed craters,
casting up enormous red hot masses under our feet,
and we could trace the whole course of the different
streams of lava from the source to Zaffarana. The
trip there and back took sixteen hours. I would re-
commend it to any one wishing really to see what an
eruption is.
(From the Journal of Catania.)
August 22.—From the point of the eruption, the
lava descended to within a mile of Zappinelli, having
took the p
traversedan nearly seven miles of ground, over desert
. d desolate points, damaging a portion of birch trees
In this communal
grove, and nearly all the zappini
(fir trees), and a portion of birch trees forming part
yesterdayr.°Tr
of the revenue of the Bishop of Catania. One branch
direction of Milo, a territory of Giarre. To-
day the
of the lava is less rapid than it was
a sudden the branch which appeared
towardsprivate
Zaffarana, commenced an in-
vasion of some
taking
einproperty in the road below,
and appears to be
I ithe direction of the road to
the commune named
is in a state of great
The branch which is
some lands little Zaffarana.
ataolitiivnigut.he direction of Miloo•
:=lllie lava has not
tisoibtlheisfrmomomtehnet
habitationsth
height
be
spread over others covered with cultivated it has
, cherry, and
apple trees.
Its ordinary course may be calculated
BeUnePsvides invading
at about 40
feet an hour, but its course may be increased by de-
scending the steep ground above Zaffarana, from which
commune it is now distant about four
miles, calcu-
lating its tortuous course.
August 23.—The lava, which last night showed a
front of about 18 palms high, attained during the
night a height of 30 palms, and acquired greater cele-
rity in its course. It has already invaded the heights
risible from the habitations of Zaffarana, and has
passed some, especially that of the Quercia del Vento,
S.E. of the Talley of Calanna. One branch towards
the I.,penici of Calanna, and another 40 the Quercia
del v entoappear to be directing themaelves, the first
for the valley of Calanna (he second on ein its course it will take
the hamlet of Zaffarana) t ' th road to
Ballo ; whilst a third smaller branch, which is seen
at the point understood as Motara, tends towards the
lands situated between Ballo and Milo. This worn-