Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 1.djvu/434

 420 STRABO. CASAUB. 276. sa 1 and Phcenicussa ; 2 they are called from the plants which they produce, and are given up to pasture. The seventh [island] is called Euonymus ; 3 it is the farthest in the sea and barren. It is called Euonymus because it lies the most to the left when you sail from the island of Lipari to Sicily, 4 and many times flames of fire have been seen to rise to the surface, and play upon the sea round the islands : these flames rush with violence from the cavities at the bottom of the sea, 5 and force for themselves a passage to the open air. Posidonius says, that at a time so recent as to be almost within his recollec- tion, about the summer solstice and at break of day, between Hiera and Euonymus, the sea was observed to be suddenly raised aloft, and to abide some time raised in a compact mass and then to subside. Some ventured to approach that part in their ships ; they observed the fish dead and driven by the cur- rent, but being distressed by the heat and foul smell, were com- pelled to turn back. One of the boats which had approached nearest lost some of her crew, and was scarcely able to reach Lipari with the rest, and they had fits like an epileptic per- son, at one time fainting and giddy, and at another return- ing to their senses ; and many days afterwards a mud or clay was observed rising in the sea, and in many parts the flames ancient name of Didyma : its present name, Salini, is derived from salt works there. 1 Ericussa, now called Alicudi or Alicurim, is covered with trees, it is inhabited, but little cultivated. The pasturage is pretty good. 2 Phoenicussa, now Felicudi or Filicurim, abounds in rich pastures ; both wheat and the vine are here cultivated. 3 Cluverius, Sic. Ant. lib. ii. p. 414, identifies this island with Lisca- Bianca, to the east of Lipari, but M. le commandeur Dolomieu, Voyage pittoresque de Naples et de Sicile, torn. iv. part ii. chap. 14, considers that it corresponded with the present Panaria, which is about eight times the circumference of Lisca-Bianca. He says the neighbouring islets are but the detached portions of a vast crater now submerged ; the denomination, Formocoli or the Little Ants, is aptly illustrative of their minuteness and numbers. The most important are Datolo, Lisca- Nera, Lisca-Bianca, and Basiluzzo. M. Gossellin very justly remarks that it is quite possible the volcanos, which continually burn in the islands of JSolus, may have formed some new one, and gives some good reasons for identifying Didyma with Panaria. 4 Rich. Pocock, Descr. de 1' Or., &c. vers. Fr. part iii. chap. 24, torn, vi. p. 327, considers that Strabo meant to say that Euonymus lies most to the left hand as you sail from Sicily to the island of Lipari, and pro- poses Ustica, the westernmost of the Lipari Islands, as its modern repre- sentative. 5 See Humboldt, Cosmos ii. 557.