:ETNA, a famous volcanic or burning mountain in Sicily, situated on the eastern coast, not far from Catania. The height of this mountain is above 10,000 feet above the surface of the sea, and its circumfe rence at the base is 180 miles. Over its sides are 77 cities, towns, and villages, the number of inhabitants of which is about 115,000. From Catania to the sum mit is the distance of 30 miles, and the traveller must passthrough three distinct climates, which may be denominated the torrid, the temperate, and the frigid. Ac cordingly, the whole mountain is divided into three distinct regions, called the fer tile, the woody, and the barren. The first, or lowest region, extends through an interval of ascent from 12 to 18 miles. The city of Catania and several villages are situated in this first zone, and it abounds in pastures, orchards, and vari ous kinds of fruit trees. Its great fertili ty is ascribed to the decomposition of la va, and of those vegetables, which have been i ntroduced by the arts of agri culture, and the exertions of human industry. The figs, and fruit in general, in this re gion, are reckoned the finest in Sicily. The lava in this region flows froma num ber of small mountains, which are dis persed over the immense declivity of !Et na. The woody region, or temperate zone, extends from 8 to 10 miles in a di rect line, towards the top ofthe mountain ; it comprehends a surface of about 40 or 45 square leagues. It forms a zone of the brightest green all round the moun tain, which exhibits apleasing contrastto the white and hoary head of the moun tain. It. is called the woody region, be
cause it abounds with oaks, beeches, and firs. The soil is similar to that of the lower region. The air here is cool and refreshing, and every breeze is loaded with a thousand perfumes, the whole ground beingcovered over with the rich est aromatic plants. Many parts of this region are the most heavenly spots upon earth ; and if /Etna resemble hell within, it may with equal justice be said to re semble paradise without. The upperre gion, called the frigid zone, is marked out by a circle of snow and ice. The surface of this zone is for the most part flat and even, and the approach to it is indicated by the decline of vegetation, by uncover. ed rocks of lava and heaps of sand, by near views of an expanse of snow and ice, and of torrents of smoke issuing from the crater of the mountain, and by the diffi culty and danger of advancing, amidst streams of melted snow, sheets of ice, and gusts of chilling wind. The curious tra yeller, however, thinks himself' amply re compensed, upon gaining the summit, for the peril which he has encountered. At night the number of stars seem increased, and their light appears brighter than usu al. The lustre of the milky way is like a pure flame that shoots across the hea vens, and with the naked eye we may ob serve clusters of stars totally invisible in the lower regions. The scoria of which the mountain is composed have the same kind of base, containing shorts and felt spars.