BACHIAN AXD MAKIAN. 299 



Wlieu we were tliree miles from the northern end 

 of Burn, we struck into a series of tide-rij^s, exactly 

 like those seen in the middle of the South Atlantic 

 Ocean, hundreds and hundreds of miles from any 

 shore. Night now came on, and it was so dark and 

 thick that we could not see fifty yards in any direc- 

 tion. It is esj)ecially at such a time, when there is 

 no moon, no stars, no light in the whole heavens, ex- 

 cept the lightning which fitfully darts and flashes 

 anywhere and everywhere over the sky, that one 

 can feel the inestimable value of the mariner's com- 

 pass. That night we had much rough sea, and I 

 was thankful that I was on a good steamer instead of 

 the old prau on which I had been expecting to 

 make this voyage. In the afternoon of the next 

 day we passed the islands of Bachian and Tawali, 

 which are heaved up into ridges about a thousand 

 feet in height, and are separated by a long, naiTOW 

 strait, abounding in the grandest scenery. On 

 Bachian the clove-tree grows "wild. The northern 

 part of the island is of sedimentary origin of various 

 ages, and there some coal and copper have been 

 found, and gold has been washed since 1774. The 

 southern part of the island is chiefly of volcanic 

 origin. North of Bachian lies a small gi'oup of isl- 

 ands, and north of these Makian, an old volcano. In 

 1646 it underwent a fearful eruption, and all the vil- 

 lages on its flanks were destroyed. They were said to 

 contain a population of some seven thousand. At 

 that time the whole mountain was so completely 

 sj)lit in two in a northeast and southwest direction, 

 that when viewed from either of those points two 



