ERUPTION OF GUNOXG API. 237 



lived on the lower flanks of Gunong Api, and had 

 succeeded in fonning large groves of nutmeg- trees. 

 On the 11th of June of that year, just before twelve 

 o'clock, in an instant, without the slightest warning, 

 an eruption began which was so \aolent that all the 

 people at once fled to the shore and crossed over in 

 boats to Banda Neira. Out of the summit rose 

 perpendicularly great masses of ashes, sand, and 

 stones, heated until they gave out light like living 

 coals. The latter hailed down, on every side, and, as 

 the accounts say, " set fire to the woods and soon 

 chan2;ed the whole mountain into one immense cone 

 of flame." This happened, unfortunately, duiing the 

 western monsoon ; and so great a quantity of sand 

 and ashes was brought over to Banda Neira, that 

 the branches of the nutmeg-trees were loaded down 

 until they broke beneath its weight, and all the 

 parks on the island were totally destroyed. Even 

 the water became undrinkable, from the light ashes 

 that filled the aii* and settled down in every crevice. 

 The eruption continued incessantly for thirteen days, 

 and did not wholly cease at the end of six weeks. 

 During this convulsion the mountain was apparently 

 split through in a north-northwest and south-south- 

 east direction. The large, active crater which we 

 saw beneath us on the northwestern flanks of the 

 mountain, from the spot where we stopped to lunch, 

 ^vas formed at that time, and another was reported 

 higher up l^etween that new crater and the older 

 one on the top of the mountain. A stream of lava 

 poured down the western side into a small bay, and 

 ]»ullt u]) a tongue of land one hundred and eighty 



