Star.
London, England, 1809-10-31 00:00:00

followir; Copy of a Li ttet from a British Officer in Sicily,
p:es a more particular account of the last Eruption of Mount
Ltra than we have any *here met with:

MESSINA, APRIL 24.

On the morning of the 27th cf March, about seven
o'clock, advices of an eruption of Etna were conveyed
hither, by a very swift courser—a cloud of black ashes
fun the mountain top, which is fifty miles distant,
in a straight line. These ashes, born on a hard gale
of wind, showered into the town in such quantities,
that several cart loads might have been collected
from the! streets and house-tops. They resembled
gun.pewder ; so much so, indeed, that an Irish sol-
dier. in the citadel, called out, .‘ Bleall and turf! thie
wind Lai forced open the magazine doors, and here's
:lithe powder blowing about die barracks."
So n after day-lighr, an awful bellowing and ho-
rizomal shaking of the mountain excited a general
alairn among the inhabitants of its vast regions. Un-
certain rbere the' calamity might fall, many deserted'
their houses. This shock was immediately succeeded
by a furious eruption of ashes from the great crater,
which formed immense clouds, and covered an amaz-
ing c:tent of country. So violent was the discharge,
twat, in spite of the gale, a vast quantity ovcrslnead
Vie country, many miles to windward of the spot
whenze they issued.*
Gt toe evening of the same day, an eruption of
lava took place at a short distance below, whose ter-
rible stream flowed dOwn the mountain about three
miler, and then divided into two branches. This
volcimo soon ceased burning, and another broke out
next day, with greater fury than the former, about
five miles lower down, at a place called Monte Negro.
1.1-. e one displayed three vast columns of flame and
smoke, and its lava extended, in a few days, across
region, to the distance of three or four
leal;nes. Hitherto we have heard of no guide bold
enoti;ll to conduct the curious traveller as far as
cider of these eruptions, because of the vast and de-
cs.itful heaps of snow and ashes scattered about the
twit upper regions of the mountain ; nor has any per-
I bdiere, been as yet so rash as to ascend higher
than one which broke out two hours after the first
alarrn, alamt twelve miles below Monte Negro, and
e'g!lt wtst of Lingua Gros, a. a town on the north.
east side, near the foot of Etna. This eruption has
formed a row of craters, within a space of about two
miles ; forming, with the others, an irregular line,
twining in a north-cast direction, from the top of the
rnruntain.

170 m the dark bosom of a wood of tall firs and
}tigc• oaks, spread over steep craggy hills and close
"alleys, conceive twelve craters or mouths, two un-
ceasingly, and the rest at intervals, with a noise like
a hemendous chorus of several thousand cannons,
!muskets, and sky-rockets, discharging flame and
•powers of burning rocks of various forms and all
nragnitudes, from several yards in diameter down to
the smallest pebble, which, according to their weight
And hulk, ascended from 200 to 1000 feet. The
WO fore-meationed craters (or rather double crate' )
'he lowest of the row down the mountain, formed the
rnncipal obiect ef this awful and magnificent scene
—they were the only craters which did not seem to
labour. Their joint emissions had encompassed them
with a black oblong hill of ashes and lava stones ;
tiorty yards above the top of which their mingling
flames furiously ascended, in onq• immense blare,
!eerned 100 y-,rds in breadth. Amidst this
blaze, vast showers of rocks, rising and falling, were
!entunially passing each other. About the middle of
the whole line of craters was situated one, which la-
Loured the most, and made the loudest, the heaviert,
the highest, and the most dangerous discharges ;
from the rocks of which our party twice narrowly
escaped, one or two of very considerable size falling
within a pace of ns. I think the lava flowed only
from a few of the chief craters, particularly the double