ERUPTIONS OF TERXATE. 301 



that I had seen since leaving Java. Many small 

 ridges extend fi'om its crest part way down its sides, 

 and then spread out into little plateau-like areas ; 

 and there the natives have cleared away the luxuriant 

 shi'ubbery and formed their gardens, and from them 

 were risinor small columns of smoke as if from sacri- 

 ficial altars. The whole island is merely a high vol- 

 cano, whose base is beneath the ocean. Its circum- 

 ference at the shore line is about six miles, and its 

 height five thousand four hundred feet. From Val- 

 entyn, Reinwardt, Bleeker, and Junghuhn, we learn 

 that severe and destructive eruptions took place in 

 1608, 1635, and 1653. In 1673 another occurred, 

 and a considerable quantity of ashes was carried 

 even to Amboina. Then, for one hundred and sixty- 

 five years, only small clouds of gas rose from the sum- 

 in it — not even hot stones were thro^vn out, and the 

 mountain seemed to have undergone its last labor, 

 when, on the 26th of February, 1838, another but not 

 a severe einiption took place. This, however, came 

 suddenly — so suddenly that, of a party of six natives 

 who chanced to be on the summit collecting sulphur, 

 four who had gone down into the crater did not 

 have time to escape, and the two who remained on 

 its edge only saved themselves by hastening down 

 the mountain ; and even they were badly burned and 

 lacerated by the showers of hot stones. On the 25th 

 of March, of the next year, a more violent eruption 

 occurred. A hea\^ thundering roared in the earth, 

 thick clouds of ashes enveloped the whole island, and 

 streams of glowing lava flowed down the mountain. 

 Again, the next year, on the 2d of February, at nine 



