CHAPTER I.
HISTORY OF THE MOUNTAIN.[1]
Position.—Name.—Mention of Etna by early writers.— Pindar.—Æschylus.—Thucydides.—Virgil.—Strabo.— Lucretius.—Lucilius Junior.—Etna the home of early myths.—Cardinal Bembo.—Fazzello.—Filoteo.—Early Maps of the Mountain.—Hamilton.—Houel.—Brydone. —Ferrara.—Recupero.—Captain Smyth.—Gemellaro; his Map of Etna.—Elie de Beaumont.—Abich.— Hoffmann.—Von Waltershausen's Atlas des Aetna.— Lyell.—Map of the Italian Stato Maggiore.—Carlo Gemellaro.—Orazio Silvestri.
CHAPTER II.
PHYSICAL FEATURES OF THE MOUNTAIN.[26]
Height.—Radius of Vision from the summit.—Boundaries. —Area.—Population.—General aspect of Etna.—The Val del Bove.—Minor Cones.—Caverns.—Position and extent of the three Regions.—Regione Coltivata.— Regione Selvosa.—Regione Deserta.—Botanical Regions.—Divisions of Rafinesque-Schmaltz, and of Presl.—Animal life in the upper Regions.
CHAPTER III.
ASCENT OF THE MOUNTAIN.[43]
The most suitable time for ascending Etna.—The Ascent commenced.—Nicolosi.—Etna mules.—Night journey through the upper Regions of the mountain.—Brilliancy of the Stars.—Proposed Observatory on Etna.—The Casa Inglesi.—Summit of the Great Crater.—Sunrise from the summit.—The Crater.—Descent from the Mountain.—Effects of Refraction.—Fatigue of the Ascent.
CHAPTER IV.
TOWNS SITUATED ON THE MOUNTAIN.[62]
Paterno.—Ste. Maria di Licodia.—The site of the ancient town of Aetna.—Biancavilla.—Aderno.—Sicilian Inns. —Adranum.—Bronte.—Randazzo.—Mascali.—Giarre. —Aci Reale.—Its position.—The Scogli de' Ciclopi.— Catania, its early history, and present condition.