The vulcano's, or, Burning and fire-vomiting mountains, famous in the world, with their remarkables collected for the most part out of Kircher's Subterraneous world, and exposed to more general view in English : upon the relation of the late wonderful and prodigious eruptions of Ætna, thereby to occasion greater admirations of the wonders of nature (and of the God of nature) in the mighty element of fire.

CHAP. III. Of the Vulcano's of Italy, Scicily, and Neighbouring Islands. (Book 3)

ITaly, and the adjacent Island, have in all times afforded prodigi∣ous Heats, Combustions, Aestuaries, hot Baths, Conflagrations, * 1.1 and Eruptions of burning flames, and all the mighty Arguments, and wondrous Products and effects of Subterraneous fires. In so much that we want not History to report to us, That heretofore it all burnt from Cuma and Visuvius in Campania, or Terra di Lavoro, even to Histria, not far from Venice; and therefore to have been cal∣led by the most ancient Inhabitants thereof, The burnt Country. And indeed Italy is every way disposed for such vast Combustions; As, with straitness and narrowness of scituation, whereby it is continu∣ally dash'd and struck with the beating of waters and waves, be∣tween two Seas; with subterraneous passages and cavernous hollow windings and turnings, easily penetrable and passable to fires and winds. And lastly, with plenty of sulphureous materials, where∣with the whole luxuriously abounds. In so much that it burns, in certain places, above ground on the surface of the Earth. For in all the Southern parts of Italy, from the utmost Coasts of Sicily, to the very Confines of Tuscany; in some places, are seen perpetual bur∣nings, as in Aetna. In other, Conflagrations by times, as in the Vulcanello's, or Liparitan Islands; and over against Naples, as in Ischia, Prochyta, Pythacusa; and also in the Mountains of the Con∣tinent, Vesuvius, Misenum, the Puteoli, and Cuma, which often burn, and in certain places, shew great Aestuaries, with abounding fires, fumes, vapours, baths; winding labyrinths, also every where obvious; as Kircher with greatest diligence observed; and gapes with burrow'd breathing-holes, which when they send forth a blast, presently, not without terrour of standers-by, are perceived more inward crackings, as it were, of burning and blazing fires, and sounds of waters; as in the Phlegraean Hills, which surround the Vulca∣nian * 1.2 Plains, commonly called Sulphatara (or Land of Sulphur) is to be seen and heard. Also the Sybell's Den at Cuma, not far di∣stant; and most mighty horrid Gapings and Recesses, impenetrable,

and not to be entred, for their raging heat, give further assurances. All Campania, every where on it's Plains, carries ancient foot-steps * 1.3 of the same Conflagrations. The ground every where parch'd like Cinders, and Pumis-stones; and a dust, which they call the Puteo∣lan, like Pouder; And extinct Coals included in living Rocks.

From Puteoli pass to Campagna di Roma, which is full of sul∣phurous * 1.4 Crater's, through the Minturnan Marshes to Sulmo; whence a continued Mine of Sulphur, through the Roman Plain exerts it self, in divers places, but chiefly, in a certain Lake of un∣searchable profundity, four miles distant from the City Tivoli, as also the most famous of the sixteen swimming Islands thereabouts, * 1.5 which they call the Barchettae (or little Barks.) Out of which, the sulphureous River of Tyber has its origine; and seems to have been famous heretofore, for hot Bath's. Hence a burrow of subterrane∣ous sire, bends back to the Round Mountain; And thence into di∣vers branches. One part whereof tends to the Stiglian Bath's, and * 1.6 the Lake in the middle Wood, horrible with stench of Brimstone, and for the spectacle of Waters boyling and bubling up in the form of a Column; and at length through the neighbour Mountains, where are also hidden pits of Serpents, full of Aestuaries, and smo∣king Funnels, or Chimneys; and even to the very hundred Cells: All which places, lavish with sulphurous Bitumen and unctuous ma∣terials; and so terminate in the Sea. The other branch, towards the Mountain Rosea, between which and Roncilion, new sulphurean Fire-Cups break forth, which have their occult communications with the Mountain Viterbo, and with the Village Vico; and are famous for sulphurean boyling Springs. And indeed the Mountain Viterbo seems yet to cherish a great force of fire under most profound Dens; which it diffuses at its Roots, on the Morthern-side, towards Viterbium, into all the Plain, which is full of a most sulphureous Gas; The Glebes every where parch'd, and covered with Pumice-stones, and has innumerable hot Fountains; among which Bulli∣camum is most famous for its intollerable fervour. This hath a great commerce with another neighbour Lake, between Viterbium, and the Mountain Flasco, where Water breaking forth from the bottom of the Lake, does mightily tumultuate; And, which is wonderful * 1.7 to relate, here are beheld two Fountains together, distant scarce one pace, whereof one dances and leaps with most hot and boyl∣ing, the other with most cold and freezing water. Hence a bur∣row of subterraneous fire through whole Tuscany, diffusing it self

into innumerable branches, scarce leaves any place free, from sulphu∣reous Cups, and Mineral waters. Sith Tuscany, on that side looking towards the Tuscan Sea, even to the Island Ilva, the whole Country every where, bubbles with hot waters, or luxuriously abounds with sulphureous Mines of Iron, or Brass; under which are indeed me∣morable, the stinking Ditches and Pools of Volterra, stuffed with servid and bubling Waters; And the Mines of the best Sulphur at Castro.

On the other part towards the East, a Burrow of Fire, extended far and wide, chiefly exerts it self, under the Mountain, called Vivo, where it causes the famous Baths of St. Cossian, and St. Philip; and hence stretches it self towards those called the Avignion Baths, even to the Mountain Politiano; where a plentiful quantity of Mineral Waters, with the grievousest stench, bubbles up. And hence on one side, even to the Apennine, which is also replenish'd with Aestua∣ries (or raging Gulphs;) on the other; to Siena, in Tuscany, and the neighboring parts adjoyning to the Sea; And even to the Con∣fines of Genoa, and the fields of Luca, which abound with so ma∣ny Metals, so many sulphurous Wells and Fountains of hot and fervid Water, as perhaps all Italy hath not the like. Yet most of * 1.8 all the Breathing-holes of subterraneous fire, burst out in the Apen∣nine Hills, at Petra Mala, and neighbouring places, where the Air sparkles and glitters by night, and 'tis thick with darkness and smoak for a long time; as it were from some flaming furnace under∣neath; and heats the waters that are cast in, and burns stubble. Now this Fountain seems to have continual veins, even to the Por∣retan waters in the Bononion fields; Hills whereof, every where, sparkle and lighten by night. And hence seems to be poured into the fields of Modena, where liquor of Bitumen, and Sulphur, and Fire rages, after a wonderful manner; And hence continues the burnings of its fuel, even to Histria, of the Venetians. For that these Mountains of Padua, as ancient Historians testifie, did here∣tofore burn about the Baths of Albano, in the Paduan fields, both the bubling Tracts of Hills and Ashes, and the external surface of Pumice-stones; as also burnt and cindred Coals, and the fervor of stones, which make the very waters, running between, hot, do suffi∣ciently shew.

Which things seeing they are so, it may be truly, a certain Argu∣ment to us, that all Italy universally is stor'd with continual matter of Sulphur; a Burrow of which, as it does any where, more or

less, far and wide stretch forth its branches; so it extends them un∣der the Sea also, to adjacent Islands, and according to the singular and peculiar temper of mixture, and the virtue of the heat, which it has under a different Tract of Veins, produces various effects, and causes marvellous burnings, and Eruptions, at certain times.

We conclude therefore, saith Kircher, That Italy, the Nurse of * 1.9 Burnings and Combustions, as it is all over stuffed with subterrane∣ous fires; which burn, in some places perpetually, in others by fits; so heretofore it had so great increases of Sulphur, such a coa∣cervation and vast treasury of fires, that if it suffered not a total con∣flagration; yet at least to have burnt in a very great part, as Berosus witnesses. Nor is it less credible, according to these principles, of nature, standing, that even again and again, it shall burn with vast Conflagrations, till the very final Destruction and Consumation of the whole Universe.

Lastly, Those of Aetna in Sicily, and Strongylus, Vulcano, &c. * 1.10 of the Lipparitan Islands; have no doubt their Submarine and Sub∣terrane Communications with the Italian, Vesuvian, &c. also. The Soyl of Sicily springs with often and eternal fires; and the whole Island cavernous, producing Sulphur and Bitumen abundantly; whereby exceeding fertile, of old, and even to this very day.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Italy abounds with Sub∣terraneous Fires.
• * 1.2

  The Phle∣graean Plains.
• * 1.3

  All Cam∣pania ob∣noxious to Fires.
• * 1.4

  Campagna di Roma springs with Sul∣phur.
• * 1.5

  The swim∣ming I∣slands of Tivo
• * 1.6

  Burrows of Subter∣raneous Fire, dis∣persed in∣to various branches.
• * 1.7

  Two near Fountains one most hot, the o∣ther most cold.
• * 1.8

  Breathing Orifices of Subterra∣neous Fire at Petra Mala.
• * 1.9

  Italy here∣tofore in great part burnt.
• * 1.10

  Vnder∣ground. Commerce of Fires, between Italy, Si∣cily, &c.