158 Proceedings, &c. 7 for 1885. 



that his clutch would not jam. It seems a pity not to utilise 

 the tidal force at Queenscliff; but if this invention is really of no 

 commercial value it will be useless to prosecute the matter 

 further. 



The President then called upon Mr. M'Lean, who read his 

 paper on "An Apparatus for Determining the Stability of 

 Vessels." 



The President remarked on the importance of the subject, and 

 the serious losses in lives and money from the neglect of it, as in 

 the cases of the "Austral" and the "Captain." Mr. M'Lean's experi- 

 ments and apparatus are calculated to prevent the recurrence of 

 such casualties. 



Mr. M'Lean said (in reply to Mr. White) that ships were too 

 frequently built to a model. Proper precautions are not taken to 

 provide against shifting of cargo ; much more attention is now 

 given to the subject in shipbuilding, and this apparatus is being 

 adopted. 



Mr. White attached far more value to such experiments as Mr. 

 M'Lean had been making than to such complicated theoretical 

 computations as Mr. M'Lean described. 



Mr. Ellery produced Mr. Verbeek's report to the Dutch 

 Government upon the volcanic eruptions in the Straits of Sunda, 

 which, with sundry drawings, had been sent to him by Mr. Ploos 

 van Amstel, with a translation, which he read, of extracts from the 

 book, which was in Dutch. 



Abstract of a pamphlet on the "Eruption of Krakatau" in 

 August, 1883, by It. D. M. Yerbeek, mine engineer, Buitenzorg. 

 Java, 19th February, 1884 :— 



" R. D. M. Verbeek, Esq., engineer of mines in Java, 

 Buitenzorg, was commissioned by the Netherlands-India Govern- 

 ment, Batavia, to investigate the nature, the intent, and the conse- 

 quences of the volcanic eruptions at Krakatau. The results are 

 given in a pamphlet as a preliminary report, and a more elaborate 

 report is in course of publication. As that report will be accom- 

 panied by many charts and plans it will take some time before the 

 publication will be issued. Krakatau, and various other islands in 

 the Straits of Sunda and along the coasts, were visited by the 

 engineer and party. As to the causes of the terrific eruptions 

 little can be said, as is generally the case with volcanic eruptions ; 

 yet in this case something may be stated. Krakatau, with a few 

 other volcanoes, is situated on a crevice or fissure of the crust of the 

 earth, which runs right across the Sunda Straits, and the existence 

 of which was suspected by Mr. Verbeek about three years ago. It 

 is possible that along such a fissure portions of the earth now and 

 then fall in, causing a pressure on the subterranean melted matters. 

 Besides, along such a fissure water can have easier access to the 

 subterranean cavities. When this water comes in contact with 



