166 COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 



later. It may be said without exaggeration that the 

 effects of the eruption manifested themselves in one way 

 or another over the greater part of the surface of the 

 globe. 



The changes at the focus of eruption are best realised 

 by a comparison of the survey of the straits after the 

 disaster with the former Admiralty charts. Shortly they 

 consist of the blowing away of the whole of the northern 

 part of the island of Krakatau, a mass of land 3 1- miles 

 in length by 2 in width. Where there was formerly dry 

 land there are now soundings of 90 fathoms, while in 

 one place bottom was not reached at 164 fathoms. Of 

 the two neighbouring islands one, Lang Island, remained 

 much as before ; the other, Verlaten Island, was increased 

 to more than thrice its original area. The bed of the sea 

 for some five or six miles to the north appears to have 

 been raised many fathoms, and in depths of 60 feet or 

 more two islands were formed by the scoriae. These, 

 however, were not able to resist the action of the sea and 

 have since disappeared. 



That this elevation of the sea-bottom was connected 

 with the production of the great seismic wave already 

 mentioned, which overwhelmed all the villages of the 

 littoral, is most probable. However produced, it will long 

 be remembered as one of the most astonishing natural 

 phenomena on record. It does not seem to have been 

 felt bj'' any person on board the vessels at that moment 

 in the neighbourhood of Krakatau, and although the sky 

 and land phenomena were of such an appalling character 

 as doubtless to divert attention in great measure, still it 

 is evident that, had the wave approached the height it 

 was recorded to measure on striking the shores of the 

 strait, it would probably have overwhelmed the ships, and 

 certainly could not have escaped observation. It may 



