EXPERIENCES IN SUMATRA. 291 



' mother-hubbards ' or in short sarong skirt and loose white sack — 

 the costume of the early part of the day. 



The low eastern shore of Sumatra and its fringe of small outlying 

 islands are in view most of the time, presenting an almost unbroken 

 line of green — the dark dense green of tropical vegetation. The cocoa- 

 nut palms afford the only clue to the native villages which are hidden 

 away in groves of these graceful trees. An occasional light-house 

 projects its white shaft skyward from a sand-spit or submerged reef, 

 a grateful relief to the eye from the green which one comes to asso- 

 ciate with this part of the world, where even the oranges are green. 



About 80 miles south of Singapore we crossed ' the line ' and lost 

 our compass-needle, for there is no southern Polaris. 



Our time at Batavia was consumed in attending to the transfer of 

 the instruments to the Padang steamer. Owing to the nature of the 

 expedition, and to prevent delays, the handling of the eclipse freight 

 was personally supervised at every change. The officials of the steam- 

 ship companies were always most courteous in making room for the 

 observers and the instruments on steamers already full, and in meet- 

 ing our requirements at all points. This was nowhere more true than 

 in Java. For example, during the two full days that the steamer 

 which had the eclipse freight on board was waiting at Tandjong Priok 

 to coal and come to the pier — no one knowing just when these events 

 were to happen— the dock officers and coolies were waiting the entire 

 time, under instructions from the agents of the steamship company, 

 in order to make the transfer at the earliest possible moment. 



The steamer for Padang went through the Straits of Sunda, where 

 in 1883 occurred the great outburst of Krakatoa. Soon after entering 

 the Straits we had our first glimpse, just a needle-like point above the 

 horizon, of the torn and shattered remains of the volcano. All about 

 us were evidences of that fearful catastrophe. In front of us was 

 ' Dwars-in-den-weg '" (Eight in the way), a single island prior to the 

 eruption, but now a group of several islands. 



Many stories are heard of this outburst. One, told by a fellow 

 passenger on the ' Prinses Sophie,' a Dutchman who had visited the 

 region a few weeks after the occurrence, concerned a miraculous escape. 

 A trading-ship was lying in the harbor of Telok Betong at the southern 

 end of Sumatra. This town is at the head of a long bay or gulf and 

 is seventy miles or more from Krakatoa. On the morning of the 

 disruption, the captain of the ship was visiting a native prince at his 

 home among the hills. The prince, who had been observing the phe- 

 nomena on Krakatoa, warned the captain that it would be unsafe to 

 return to his ship and persuaded him to stay. A few hours later the 

 tidal wave came up the bay and carried the ship inland more than 



