560 PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 



many pieces of considerable size and quite warm ; had to cover up 

 the skylights to save the glass, while feet and head had to be pro- 

 tected with boots and South-westers. About 6 the fall of larger 

 stones ceased but there continued a steady fall of a smaller kind, most 

 blinding to the eyes, and covering the decks to three or four inches 

 very speedily, while an intense blackness covered the sky and land, 

 and sea ; sailed on our course until we got what we thought was 

 a sight of Fourth Point light, then brought ship to the wind, S. W., 

 as we could not see any distance and we knew not what might be 

 in the Straits the night being a fearful one ; the blinding fall of 

 sand and stones, the intense blacknese above and around us, broken 

 only by the incessant glare of varied kinds of lightning, and the 

 continued explosive roars of Krakatoa, made our situation a truly 

 awful one. 



"At 11 p.m, having stood off from the Java shore, wind strong 

 from the S.W., the island, W.N.W. eleven miles distant, became 

 more visible, chains of fire appearing to ascend and descend between 

 the sky and it \ while on the S.W. end there seemed to be a con- 

 tinued roll of balls of white fire ; the wind though strong was hot 

 and choking, sulphureous with a smell as of burning cinders ; soma 

 of the pieces falling on us being like iron cinders, and the lead 

 from a bottom of thirty fathoms came up cpiite warm. 



" From midnight to 4 a.m., 27th, wind strong but very unsteady 

 between S.S.W. and W.S.W. the same impenetrable darkness 

 continuing, the roaring of Krakatoa less continuous, but more 

 explosive in sound, the sky one second intense blackness the next 

 a blaze of fire, mast heads and yard arms studded with corposants, 

 and a peculiar pinky flame coming from clouds which seemed to 

 touch the mast heads and yard arms ; at 6 a.m. being able to 

 make out the Java shore set sail, passing Fourth Point light 

 house at 8, hoisted our signal letters but got no answer. 8.30 

 passed Anjer, name still hoisted, close enough in to make out the 

 houses but could see no movement of any kind ; in fact through 

 the whole Straits we have not seen a single moving thing of any 

 kind on sea or land ; at 10.15 a.m. passed the Button Island to \ to 

 f- mile off, sea like glass round it, weather much finer looking and 



