This island, which has given name to the whole cluster, is deserving of
notice on account of its celebrated “_stoves_.” They are the only
vestiges of subterraneous conflagration now remaining, and lie to the
west of the city, on the summit of a mountain of considerable elevation,
called Monte della Stufe, the Mountain of Stoves. They consist of five
excavations, in the form of grottos; but two of them have been abandoned
on account of the great heat, an exposure to which might cause
suffocation. Even the stones are so hot that they can not be touched;
but still the heat varies, and experiences all the vicissitudes of
volcanoes. The ground is not penetrated with hot vapors issuing from
several apertures, as has been asserted. Spallanzani, however, found one
from which a thin stream of smoke issued from time to time, with a
strong sulphureous smell, indicating the remains of conflagration
existing beneath.
It is impossible to fix the exact epoch at which the fires of Lipari
were extinguished, or rather the period at which the eruptions ceased,
for the existence of the former may be deduced from the hot springs and
stoves. Dolomieu thinks the last eruptions are as old as the sixth
century of the Christian era, and conjectures that they may have ceased
since the fires found a new vent in Vulcano, since he does not entertain
any doubt but that the two islands have a subterraneous communication.
Of this the inhabitants of Lipari are so well convinced, that they are
in the greatest agitation when Vulcano does not smoke, and when its
passages are obstructed. They fear shocks and violent eruptions,
suspecting even that the fires may again break out in their island. It
is a fact that the earthquakes, which are very frequent, generally cease
when the eruptions of Vulcano commence.