SUMATKA 1 G 5 



in no place was any earthquake recorded during the 

 eruption. 



Throughout the 27th August the eruption continued, 

 though with decreasing severity, but the exact nature of 

 the phenomena then occurring is unknown, as the Straits 

 of Sunda and much of the surrounding country were en- 

 veloped in complete darkness during the whole day. The 

 vast quantity of dust and watery vapour which had been 

 ejected hung like a pall over the scene, assuming the 

 " pine-tree " shape noticed in the eruptions of Vesuvius. 

 But while in the latter the cloud has been recorded as 

 only attaining the height of four miles, the enormous 

 body of ejecta thrown out by Krakatau was estimated by 

 various observers as being from seventeen to twenty-three 

 miles high. Then, slowly, the mass began to descend. 

 For the most part it seems to have been composed of fine 

 dust and watery particles, which deposited as a smooth 

 mud, but in other cases pieces of pumice fell, some of 

 which were as large as a pumpkin. A great part of 

 this volcanic dust was no doubt caused by the collision 

 of the individual pieces of the ejecta as they were shot 

 out from the mouth of the crater, for the pumice was of 

 a peculiarly brittle character, and crumbled easily be- 

 tween the fingers. The darkness in the straits only 

 lasted during the 27th. On the morning of the 28th 

 the explosions of the volcano, which had gradually been 

 growing weaker and less frequent, finally ceased, and the 

 great eruption of 1883 was at an end. 



The foregoing is a brief account of tlie events which 

 occurred in the immediate neighbourhood of Krakatau at 

 the time of the disaster. But, terrible as they were, the 

 enormous loss of life which followed on them was not 

 immediately suspected, while the wide-spread character 

 of the resulting phenomena was not known until months 



