DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6094#0234
SICILY AND MALTA. 211
half in circumference. It goes shelving
down on each side, and forms a regular
hollow like a vast amphitheatre. From
many places of this space, issue volumes os
sulphureous smoke, which being much
heavier than the circumambient air, instead
of rising in it, as smoke generally does,
immediately on its getting out of tbe cra-
ter, rolls down the side of the mountain
like a torrent, till coming to that part of
the atmosphere of the same specific gravity
with itself, it moots off horizontally, and
forms a large track in the air, according to
the direction of the wind ; which, happily
for us, carried it exa&ly to the side oppo-
site to that where we were placed. The
crater is so hot, that it is very dangerous,
if not impomble, to go down into it; be-
sides, the smoke is very incommodious,
and, in many places, the surface is so soft,
there have been instanccs of people sink-
ing down in it, and paying for their teme-
rity with their lives. Near the center of
P 2 the
half in circumference. It goes shelving
down on each side, and forms a regular
hollow like a vast amphitheatre. From
many places of this space, issue volumes os
sulphureous smoke, which being much
heavier than the circumambient air, instead
of rising in it, as smoke generally does,
immediately on its getting out of tbe cra-
ter, rolls down the side of the mountain
like a torrent, till coming to that part of
the atmosphere of the same specific gravity
with itself, it moots off horizontally, and
forms a large track in the air, according to
the direction of the wind ; which, happily
for us, carried it exa&ly to the side oppo-
site to that where we were placed. The
crater is so hot, that it is very dangerous,
if not impomble, to go down into it; be-
sides, the smoke is very incommodious,
and, in many places, the surface is so soft,
there have been instanccs of people sink-
ing down in it, and paying for their teme-
rity with their lives. Near the center of
P 2 the