Singular Double Crater^ tvith Ridc/e between. 249 



narrow, steep ledge of the rock, which gradually lost itself 

 among the vapour between two perpendicular, precipitous 

 walls. We followed the Javanese, who were scrambling down 

 before us, having ourselves given orders to be conducted if 

 possible to the bottom of the crater, and therefore continued 

 on as best we could, confident that those people had already 

 often descended into the depths to get themselves sulphur. 



"Fortunately the vaj^om^s dispersed during our arduous 

 clamber, and there at one view lay plain before us the fearful 

 chasm from its floor to the rim running round it. With 

 amazement and surprise, we perceived that the ledge on 

 which Ave stood was but a narrow central ridge, separating 

 two deep nearly circular volcanic cauldrons, which were both 

 surrounded by a lofty ellipse-shaped crater- wall ! There was 

 also a singular double or twin crater. In both cavities, right 

 and left, white clouds of steam rose hissing and sputtering to the 

 height of the rim. In the left-hand or western crater, which 

 the natives called Kawah Upas, or the Poison Crater, we per- 

 ceived in the midst of the smoking solfataras a tranquil pool 

 of water of a sulphur- yellow hue, while the lofty internal 

 slopes of the crater, nearly 1000 feet high, were densely 

 covered with brushwood, down almost to the bottom. Very 

 different was the eastern crater, Katvah Ratu, or King's 

 Crater ; its floor seemed to consist of dried mud, fi^om the 

 clefts and springs in which steam and sulphureous vapours 

 were constantly bursting impetuously fortli. The wall of 

 this crater, not above 500 or 600 feet high, was naked and 



