302 TRAVELS IN THE EAST INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



o'clock in tlie forenoon, a third eruption, yet more se- 

 vere, began. Heavier thundering was heard, smoke 

 and ashes poured out, and hot stones rose from the 

 crater, and fell like hail on the sides of the volcano, 

 setting fire to the dense wood which had completely 

 spread over it during its long rest, and causing it to 

 assume the appearance by night of a mountain of 

 flame. At the same time much lava poured out over 

 the crater on the north side, and flowed down to the 

 sea between Fort Toluko and Batu Angus, " the Hot 

 Stone." This destruction continued for twenty-four 

 hours, and at four o'clock the next day all was still. 

 During the next ten days clouds of black smoke con- 

 tinued to pour out, but all trusted that the worst had 

 passed, when, on the 14th, at half-past twelve or almost 

 exactly at midnight, a " frightful, unearthly thunder- 

 ing " began again, and the shocks became heavier and 

 more frequent until half-past three (before it would 

 have been light if the sky had been clear), when 

 the last house in the whole place had been laid in 

 ruins. The earth split open with a cracking that 

 could be distinctly heard above the awfal thunder- 

 ing of the mountain. Out of the fissures jets of 

 hot water rose for a moment, and then the earth 

 closed again, to open in another place. An edu- 

 cated gentleman, who, from his great wealth, gen- 

 erosity, and liberality, is justly known as the 

 " Prince of the Moluccas," assured me that when 

 two men were about one thousand yards apart, one 

 would see the other rise until his feet seemed as high 

 as the head of the observer, then immediately he 

 would sink and the observer rise until he seemed as 



