SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.

CHAPTER I.

Preliminary Matters relative to the Geology, Mineralogy, Climate, Produce, and Resources of Sicily.

SICILY is so endeared by classical, historical, and scientific associations, that its very name inspires a romantic prepossession, nor is it the magni nominis umbra usually imagined, being the largest, and still the richest and most civilized of all the islands in the Mediterranean Sea. From its favourable geographical situation, mild climate, and great fertility; from its strong military positions, secure harbours, and innumerable resources, it has ever been an object of eager contention, and must always continue to be the scene of political struggles and important events.

GEOLOGY.-From many peculiarities observable in the stratification and direction of its mountains, it has been inferred that Sicily was once joined to the Continent, and that it was separated by some dreadful convulsion of nature, beyond the reach of history or tradition and, as some suppose, before the craters of Stromboli, Ætna, Vesuvius, and Lipari, gave vent to the subterraneous fires. The whole of Sicily, its adjacent islands, and the south of Italy,

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being still subject to frequent and destructive earthquakes, and other volcanic phenomena, adds much to the probability of the supposed ancient connexion between the Apennine and Neptunian

ranges.

Next to Ætna, the principal mountains of Sicily are the Madonia and Pelorean or Neptunian ranges, forming the north and northeastern coasts, and from thence gradually shelving down to the south-west part of the island, with inferior chains diverging in various ramifications. These are of a primitive formation, more or less covered with a calcareous stratum, intermixed with pyrites, schistus, talc, and marine deposits, and abounding with mineral riches, and organic remains.

The soil affords great variety, being loamy, argillaceous, aluminous, siliceous, or calcareous; and of considerable depth. By the genial influence of the climate, vegetation is rendered quick and abundant, and the country is altogether one of the most productive spots on earth.

This fecundity may also be owing, in part, to a volcanic influence, for lava, scoriæ, and ashes, are not confined to the neighbourhood of Ætna, but extend from that mountain to Cape Passaro. Masses of pozzolana occur at Lentini, Vizzini, Palazzolo, and Palica; and various substances, that have also evidently undergone the action of fire, are observable in several parts of the interior, where the superincumbent strata have been riven by torrents. The central divisions of the island contain large tracts of bitumen, and though sulphur is rather a cause than a product of volcanoes, it may be noticed, that it is found in immense quantities at Mussumeli, Cattolica, Girgenti, Naro, Mazzarino, and Alicata.

MINERALOGY.-In the neighbourhood of Regalmuto, Fiume di Nisi, Caccamo, Savoca, and San Giuseppe, are found silver, lead, copper, cinnabar, marcasite, emery, and antimony. Auriferous pyrites, lapis

lazuli, mercury, alum, and coal, similar to that from Bovey, in Devonshire, abound in the hills and valleys of Nicosia, Alì, Tortorici, and Messina. Rock-salt, bitumen, and gypsum, particularly the latter, abound at Castro-Giovanni, Mistretta, Caltanisetta, Ragusa, and other places; while marbles, agates, chalcedonies, and jaspers of great variety, occur at Palermo, Gagliano, Busacchino, Cappizzi, Naso, Taormina, and many other parts, intermixed with asbestos, asphaltum, a saponaceous stone consisting principally of argil, possessing strong detergent qualities, and alabaster; and specimens of ostracites, echinites, cardites, and various other organic, dendritic, and amorphous remains, are frequently found imbedded in the calcareous strata.

Petroleum and naphtha are found on the surface of several springs at Palagonia, Petralia, Girgenti, Leonforte, Bivona, Caltanisetta, and Segesta. Amber is found in small quantities, washed up by the sea at the mouth of the river Giarretta. Around Ragusa, in the county of Modica, there abounds, moreover, a bituminous rock, used for building-stone, that produces a great proportion of hydrogen gas, far better for ignition than that extracted from coal.

Mineral waters, both hot and cold, abound in every part of Sicily, and have for ages been celebrated for their efficacy in relieving various chronic, paralytic, and cutaneous disorders. Of these the sulphureous are to be met with at Ali, Cefalù, Sciacca, Termini, Segesta, and Mazzarino; the ferruginous at St. Vito, Noto, Messina, Sclafani, and Mazzara; and the vitriolic at Palermo, Corleone, Gianissileri, Petralia, Gratteri, and Bissuna.

CLIMATE. The temperature of the climate may be pronounced excellent, except that from there being few running streams, many morasses and pools of stagnant water are formed, the effluvias of which corrupt the air around, and render it unhealthy. The medium height of the thermometer is 62°.5, of the barometer 29°.80, and of the pluviometer twenty-six inches. The thermometer