The circumstance that generally attracts the attention of the traveller, in passing through this region, is the remarkable inequality of its surlace, oceat:ioned by the immense number and variety of conical hills which rise around him on every side. They arc generally about two or three miles in circuit, and from 3uu to 400 feet in height. Were the external appearance of these mils (each of which has a cup or small crater) and their prox imity to the great gull, not sufficient to demonstrate their volcanic origin, we are happily turhisned with a direct experiment in the case ol the tormation of one of them, viz. Monte /?oeso, winch must remove every doubt respecting this point. In the year 1669, this lull was seen to r.se in the midst of a plain, and to from its vertex a dreadful torrent of lava, which flowed as far as the sea, and formed a kind of promontory.
The uncommon 1(1.1,14 of the soil ul this region, the richness of the pasture grounds, and the luxuriance of the vines and other fruit-trees, have, from the earliest times, afforded matter of panegyric to the traveller and histei ian. On this subject, Strabo, Fazello, and all who have visited 'Etna, unite their testimony, and agree at the same time in ascribing this superior fertility to the decomposition of the lava. This rich scenery is some times beautifully diversified, by the lava appearing above the soil, in the form ol craggy eminences. Even where the lava is not uncovered, the soil in some places is so shallow, that the roots of trees, unable to penetrate the hard rock, extend their fibres horizontally, and are seen creeping along the surface. It must be peculiarly in teresting to a traveller in this region, to reflect that he is now treading on the ruins of extinguished volcanoes, and to behold cheerful cottages and thriving towns situ ated in those very hollows whence the destructive fire formerly issued. No fewer than 77 cities, towns, and vil lages, are said to be scattered over the sides of JEtna ; and the whole population is calculated to be 100,000 persons.
As those who have visited Etna have taken nearly the came route, they have in general selected the same sta tions for halting. In the first region, two resting places are particularly noticed, viz. Alco/osi, and St Xiccolo .1rena.
Nicolosi was formerly a convent belonging to the Be nedictine friars of Catania. It is now a place of enter tainment for travellers. Here a solitary brother resides, to take care of the house, and superintend the cultiva tion of the neighbouring fields. According to Brydone, this station is twelve miles tip the mountain, and, by Hollers calculation, 2496 feet above the level of the sea. The air here is remarkably pure ; but the progress of vegetation is less rapid than in the plain below ; for, as Brydone informs us, the corn is often green at Nicolosi, when the harvest is over at Catania.
From Nicolosi, travellers usually make a short excur sion to Aknte Rosso, or the Red Mountain, so called from the red colour which appears on some parts of its surface. The origin of this mountain, as we formerly observed, is sufficiently ascertained. The approach to it is through a deep bed of black sand, which completely envelops the base of the mountain, and is about two miles in breadth. This sand is the sad remains of the dreadful eruption of 1669, which gave birth to this hill, and buried in ruins the flourishing vineyards and rick pastures in its neighbourhood, to the extent of 15 miles. It is even said, that some of the finer particles ol this sand reached the opposite coast of Calabria. Authors disagree respecting the size of this hill. Borcili is of opinion, that its circumlerence at the base does not ex ceed two nines, ant its perpcndicuiar height I5U pacts ; whereas sir NV. I lamilton allows one mile lor the height, and three miles for the circuit. It has a number Of mouths or craters, all of wnich have externally the shape of a luidel or mutilated cone. NI. ilouel went down into one ol these openings with torches, but could not reach the bottom, being compelled to return by the severity of the cold.
Alter visiting illonre Rosso, the traveller proceeds olit his journey, and soon arrives at St Niccolo dell' ?rena, an ancient edifice, which formerly belonged to the Bene dictine friars. Here are seen innumerable monuments and inscriptions, which record the history of lormer ruins particularly the eruption of 1669. After this dis astrous event, its original proprietors judged it expe dient to abandon this station, and sought a more secure residence in the plain below. Few traces of these deso lations, however, remain to the present day. The black sand thrown out in this memorable eruption, has for many years been convected into vegetable earth, and is now covered with extensive and thriving vineyards. In this neighbourhood rises Montepd, ri, another of those hills which diversify and adorn the sides of /Etna. It de serves notice merely on account of its peculiar shape, and the circtmistances which attended its formation It is of a spherical form, not exceeding 300 feet in height, and about a mile in circuit. It is perfectly regular on every side, and richly overspread with fruits and flowers ; its crater is so completely hollowed out, as to resemble a bowl in its internal structure. But what. renders this mountain chiefly remarkable, is, that from the period of the eruption which produced it, we date the ruin of the far-famed territory of Hybla ; which now retains no traces of its former importance, except what we may learn from the name ..11el Passi; or from a few verdant hillocks which spot the surface of fields of black and rugged lava.