CHAP. III.
Of the Vulcano’s of Italy, Scicily, and Neighbouring Islands.
Italy, and the adjacent Island, have in all times afforded prodigious Heats, Combustions, Aestuaries, hot Baths, Conflagrations, and Eruptions of burning flames, and all the might Arguments, and wondrous Products aud effects of Subterraneous fires. In somuch that we want not History to report to us, That heretofore it all burnt from Cuma and Vesuvius in Campania, or Terra de Lavoro, even to Hstira, not far from Venice; and therefore to have been called 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 situation, whereby it is continually dashe’d and struck with the beating of waters and waves between two Seas; with subterraneous passages and cavernous hollow windings and turnings, easily penetrable and passable to fies and winds. And lastly, with plenty of sulphureous material, wherewith 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 Confies of Tuscany; in some places, are seen pertetual burnings, as in Aetna. In other, Conflagrations by times, as in the Vucanello’s, or Liparitan Islands; and over against Naples, as in Ischia, Prochyta, Pythacusa; and also in the Mountains of the Continent, Vesuvious, 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, no 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 Vulcanian Plains, commonly called Sulpharata (or Land of Sulphur) is to be seen and heard. Also the Sybell’s Den at Cuma, not far distant; and most mighty horrid Gapings and Recesse, impenetrable, and not to be entred, for their raging heat, give further assurances. All Campania, everywhere on it’s Plains, carries ancient foot-steps of the same Conflagrations. The ground every where parch’d like Cinders, and Pumis-stones; and a dust, which they call the Puteolan, like Pouder; and extinct Coals included in living Rocks.
From Puteoli pass to Campagna di Roma, which is full of sulphurous Crater’s. through the Minturnan Marshes to Sumo: whence a continued Mine of Sulphur, through the Roman Plain exerts itself, in divers places, but chiefly, in a certain Lake of unsearchable profundity, four miles distant from the City Tivoli, as also the most famous of the sixteen swimming Islands thereabouts, 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 subterraneous fire, bends back to the Round Mountain; And thence into divers branches. One part whereof tends to the Stiglian Bath’s, and 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 Mountins, where are also hidden pits of Serpents, full of Aestuaries, and smoking Funnels, or Chimneys; and even t o the very hundred Cells: All which places, lavish with sulphurous Bitumen and unctuous materials; and so terminate in the Sea. The other branch, towards the Mountain Rosea, and between which and Roncilion, new sulphurean Fire-Cups break forth, which have their occult communications with e 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 undmost profound Dens; which t diffuses at its Roots, on the Morthern-side, towards Veterbium, into all the Plain, which is full of a most sulphureous Gas; The Glebes everywhere partch’d, and covered with Pumice-stones, and has innumberalbe hot Fountians; among which Bullscamum is most famous for its intolerable fervour. This hath a great commerce with another neihbour Lake, between Viterbium, and the Mountain Flasco, where Water breaking forth from the bottom of the Lake, dos mightly tumultuate; And, which is wonderful to relate, here are beheld two Fountains together, distant scarce one pace, whereof one dances and leaps with most hot and boyling, the other with most cold and freezing water. Hence a burrow of subterraneous fire through whole Tuscany, diffusing itself into innumerable branches, scarce leaves any place free, from sulphureous Cups, and Mineral waters. Sith Tuscany, on that side looking towards the Tuscan Sea, even to the Ilsand Ilva, the whole Country everywhere, bubbles with hot waters, or luxuriously abounds with sulphureous Mines of Iron, or Brass; under which are indeed memorable, th stinking Ditches and Pools of Volterra, stuffed with served and bubling Water; 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 Mountian, cal Vivo, where it causes the famous Baths of St. Cossian, and St. Philip; and hence stretches it self towards those called the Avignon Baths, even to the Mountain Polititano; where a plentiful quantity of Mineral Waters, with the grievoustest stench, bubbles up. And hence on one side, even to the Apennine, which is also relenish’d with Aestuaries (or raging Gulphs;) on the other; to Siena, in Tuscany, and the neighboring parts adjoining to the Sea; And even to the Confines of Genoa, and fields of Luca, wich abound with so many Metals, so many sulphurous Wells and Fountains of hot and fervid Water, as perhaps all Italy hath not the like. Yet most of all the Breathing-holes of subterraneous fire, burst outin the Apenine Hills, at Petra Mala, and neighbouring places, wher the Air sparkles and glitters by night, and ‘tis thick and with darkness and smoak for a long time; as as it were from some flaming furnace underneath; and heats the waters that are cast in, and burns stubble. Now this Fountain seems to have continental veins, even to the Porretan waters in the Bononian 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 Hstria, of the Venetians. For that these Mountains of Padua, as ancient Historians testifie, did heretofore 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 sufficiently shew.
Which things seeing they are so, it may be truly, a certain Argument to us, that all Italy universally is stor’d with continual matter of Sulphur; a Burrow which, as it does any where, more or less, far and wide stretch forth its branches; so it extends them under the Sea also, to adjacent Islands, and according to the singular and peculiar temper of mixture, and the virtue of the heat, which is has under a different Tract of Veins, produces various effects, and causes marvelous burnings, and Eruptions, at certain times.
We conclude therefore, saith Kircher, That Italy, the Nurse of Burnings and Comustions, as it is all over stuffed with subterraneous fires; which burn, in some places perpetually, in others by fits; so heretofore it had so great increases of Sulphur, such a coacervation and vast treasury of fies, that if it suffered not a total conflagration; yet at least to have burnt in a very great pat, as Berosus witnesses. Nor isit less credible, according to thse 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 Stongylus, Vulcano, &c. of the Lipparitan Islands; have no doubt their Sumbarine and Subterrane 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.
