An Earthquake. 257 



table mould spread over them. Even on the steepest slopes 

 there is everywhere a covering of clays and sands, and gener- 

 ally a good thickness of vegetable soil. It is this which per- 

 haps contributes to the uniform luxuriance of the forest, and 

 delays the appearance of that sub-alpine vegetation which de- 

 pends almost as much on the abundance of rocky and ex- 

 posed surfaces as on difference of climate. At a much lower 

 elevation on Mount Ophir, in Malacca, Dacrydiums and Rho- 

 dodendrons, with abundance of Nepenthes, fei'ns, and terres- 

 trial orchids suddenly took the place of the lofty forest ; but 

 this was plainly due to the occurrence of an extensive slope of 

 bare granitic rock at an elevation of less than 3000 feet. The 

 quantity of vegetable soil, and also of loose sands and clays, 

 resting on steep slopes, hill-tops, and the sides of ravines, is a 

 curious and important phenomenon. It may be due in part 

 to constant slight earthquake shocks, facilitating the disinte- 

 gration of rock ; but would also seem to indicate that the 

 country has been long exposed to gentle atmospheric action, 

 .and that its elevation has been exceedingly slow and continu- 

 ous. 



During my stay at Rur^kan my curiosity was satisfied by 

 experiencing a pretty sharp earthquake-shock. On the even- 

 ing of June 29, at a quarter after eight, as I was sitting read- 

 ing, the house began shaking with a very gentle, but rapidly 

 increasing motion. I sat still enjoying the novel sensation for 

 some seconds ; but in less than half a minute it became strong- 

 enough to shake me in my chair, and to make the house visibly 

 rock about, and creak and crack as if it would fall to pieces. 

 Then began a cry throughout the village of " Tana goyang ! 

 tana goyang " (Earthquake ! earthquake) ! Every body rush- 

 ed out of their houses — women screamed and children cried — 

 and I thought it prudent to go out too. On getting up, I 

 found my head giddy and my steps unsteady, and could hard- 

 ly walk without falling. The shock continued about a minute, 

 during which time I felt as if I had been turned round and 

 round, and Avas almost sea-sick. Going into the house again, 

 I found a lamp and a bottle of arrack upset. The tumbler 

 which formed the lamp had been thrown out of the saucer in 

 which it had stood. The shock appeared to be nearly vertical, 

 rapid, vibratorv, and jerking. It was sufficient, I have no 



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