Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 8.djvu/656

Rh 632 T O and a great fissure opened at the base of Giannicola Grande, and a crater was thrown up, from which for seventeen days showers of sand and scoriae were ejected. During the next day a quantity ot lava flowed down into the Val del Bue, branching off so that one stream flowed to the foot of Monte Finocchio, while the other flowed to Monte Calanna. The eruption continued with abated violence during the early months of 1853, and did not fully cease till May 27th. The &quot;entire mass of lava ejected is estimated to be equal to an area six miles long by two miles broad, with an average depth of about twelve feet. In October 1864 frequent shocks of earthquake were felt by the dwellers on Etna. In January 1865 clouds of smoke were emitted by the great crater, and roaring sounds were heard. On the night of the 30th a violent shock was felt on the north-east side of the mountain, and a mouth opened below Monte Frumeuto, from which lava was ejected. It flowed at a rate of about a mile a day, and ultimately divided into two streams. By March 10th the new mouths of fire had increased to seven in number, and they were all situated along a line stretch ing down from the summit. The three upper craters gave forth loud detonations three or four times a minute. Since 1865 the mountain has been in a quiescent state. It will be seen from the foregoing account that there is a great similarity in the general character of the erup tions of Etna. Earthquakes presage the outburst ; loud explosions are heard: rifts and bocche del fuoco open in the sides of the mountain : smoke, sand, ashes, and scorite are discharged ; the action localizes itself in one or more craters ; cinders are thrown out and accumulate around the crater in a conical form ; ultimately lava rises through the new cone, frequently breaking down one side of it where there is least resistance, and flowing over the surrounding country. Then the eruption is at an end. Out of the 78 eruptions mentioned above, a comparatively small number have been of extreme violence, while many have been of a slight and harmless character. According to Lyell, Etna is rather older than Vesuvius, perhaps of the same geological age as the Norwich Crag. At Trezza, on the eastern base of the mountain, basaltic rocks occur associated with fossiliferous Pliocene clays. The earliest eruptions of Etna are older than the Glacial period in Central and Northern Europe. If all the minor cones and monticules could be stripped from the mountain, the diminution of bulk would be extremely slight. Lyell concludes that, although no approximation can be given of the age of Etna, &quot; its foundations were laid in the sea in the newer Pliocene period.&quot; From the slope of the strata from one central point in the Val del Bue he further con cludes that there once existed a second great crater of per manent eruption. Such are the principal facts in the history of a volcano, justly called famoso, immeitso, terribile, which has excited the wonder of all nations in all ages of the history of the world. (G. F. E.) ETON, a village in Buckinghamshire, is situated on the left bank of the Thames, 21 miles W.S.W. of London, and is connected with Windsor on the opposite bank of the river by a cast-iron bridge erected in 1824. Eton is chiefly celebrated for its college, founded by Henry VI. in 1441, and endowed mainly from the revenues of the alien priories which were suppressed by Henry V. By Edward IV. its possessions were considerably curtailed; but on account of benefactions and the rise in the value of property, its annual income has gradually increased from 652 in the year 1506 till it now exceeds 20,000. The original founda tion consisted of a provost, 10 priests, 4 clerks, 6 choristers, a schoolmaster, 25 poor and indigent scholars, and the same number of poor men or beadsmen. In 1443 the number of scholars was increased to 70, and the number of beads men reduced to 13. Until lately the government of the college was in the hands of the provost and fellows ; but in 1870 the commissioners authorized by the Act of Parlia ment of 1868 appointed the &quot;new governing body&quot; of Eton to consist of the provost of Eton, the provost of King s College, Cambridge, 5 representatives nominated respec tively by the university of Oxford, the university of Cam bridge, the Royal Society, the lord chief justice, and the masters, and 4 representatives chosen by the rest of the governing body. By this governing body the foundation was in 1872 made to consist of a provost and 10 i ellow.-s (not priests, but merely the other members of the governing body other than the provost), a headmaster of the school, and a lower master, at least 70 scholars, and not more than two chaplains or conducts. Originally it was necessary that the scholars should be born in England, of lawfully married parents, and be between eight and sixteen years of age; but according to the statutes of 1872, the scholarships are now open to all boys who are British subjects, and between twelve and fifteen years of age. A number of foundation scholarships for King s College, Cambridge, are open for competition amongst the boys; and there are besides several valuable extra scholarships and exhibitions, most of which are tenable only at Cambridge, some at Oxford, and some at either university. Besides the scholars of the foundation, Eton College is attended by about 850 scholars, who are either boarded with the masters or reside in private houses, and are called &quot;oppidans.&quot; The total expenses of a boy educated as an oppidan average 200 a year. At one time the course of instruction was almost wholly classical ; and although there were masters for other subjects, these were unconnected with the general business of the school, and ; were attended at extra hours. But in 1851 mathematics was incorporated into the curricu lum of the school, and in 1869 physical science was intro duced as a regular subject. The teachers of modern languages, of mathematics, and of physical science have now the same status, in regard to authority in and out of school, as the teachers of Latin and Greek. Among the celebrated men educated at Eton may be mentioned Sir Robert Walpole, Harley earl of Oxford, Lord Bolingbroke, Earl Camden, the famous earl of Chatham, the Hon. Robert Boyle, Lord Lyttelton, Gray, Shelley, Horace Walpole, West, Waller, Fox, Canning, the marquis of Welleslcy, Hallam the historian, the duke of Wellington, Dean Milman, and the earl of Derby. The singular custom termed the montem, which was observed here triennially on Wliit-Tuesday, has now been abolished. The last celebra tion of it took place in 1844. It consisted of a procession of the boys in a kind of military order, with flags and music, headed by their &quot;captain,&quot; to a small mound called Salt Hill, near the Bath road, where they levied contribu tions, or &quot;salt,&quot; from the passers-by and spectators. The sum collected sometimes exceeded 1000, the surplus, after deducting certain expenses, becoming the property of the &quot; captain &quot; of the school. The building of Eton College was commenced in 1441, and the school was opened in 1442 ; but the whole original stiucture was not completed till fifty years afterwards. A new wing was completed in 1846; another block of buildings, containing 15 class-rooms, a music room, and an observatory, was built in 1861 ; these have been subsequently enlarged, and since the incorpora tion of physical science into the course of studies, an admirable chemical laboratory has been erected. The older buildings consist of two quadrangles, built partly of free stone but chiefly of brick. The outer quadrangle, or school yard, is inclosed by the chapel, schools, dormitories, and masters chambers, and has in its centre a bronze statue of the royal founder. The buildings inclosing the inner or lesser quadrangle contain the residence of the fellows, the library, hall, and various offices. The chapel, on the south side of the outer court, is a fine Gothic edifice, containing some interesting monuments, among which is one to Sir Henry Wotton, who was long provost of the college ; and at the west end of the ante-chapel is a fine marble statue of the founder in his royal robes, by Bacon. The chapel