104 EARTHQUAKES IN THE NINETEENTH CENTUEY. [Ch XXVI 



tlieir worldly fortunes, tliat we must ascribe the extraordi 

 dearth of historical information concernino- ohar^.-.,^^ ./» i-. 



earth's surface, which modern observations show to be by 



no 



means 



Since the above account was written, a description li 



more recent geographical 



district of Cutch, near 



mouth of the Koi 



or eastern 



branch of the Indus, which happened in June 1845. A lai 

 area seems to have subsided, and the Sindreelake had become 



ge 



mar 



Island of Sumhawa, 1815.— In April, 1815, one of the most 

 frightful eruptions recorded in history occurred in the province 



Tomb 



in the island of Sumbawa (see Map, fig. 59 

 Vol. I. p. 587), about 200 miles from the eastern extremitj 

 of Java. In April of the preceding year the volcano had 

 been observed in a state of considerable activity, ashes having 

 fallen upon the decks of vessels which sailed past the coast, f 

 The eruption of 1815 began on April 5th, but was most 

 violent on the 11th and 12th, and did not entirely cease till 

 July. The sound of the explosions was heard in Sumatra, 

 at the distance of 970 geographical miles in a direct line,' 

 and at Ternate, in an opposite direction, at the distance of 

 720 miles. Out of a population of 12,000, in the province of 

 Tomboro, only 26 individuals survived. Violent whirlwinds 

 carried up men. horsps. r-a+flp m^/l wiio+r.,r^,. ^i„^ „„ .-xi,- . 



their influence, into the air ; tore up the largest trees by the 



roots, and covered the whole ___. 



Great tracts of land were covered by lava, severafstreams of 

 which, issuing from the crater 



sea with floatino- timber.! 



Mountain 



reached the sea. So heavy was the fall of ashes, that tliey 

 broke into the Eesident's house at Bima, 40 miles east of 

 the volcano, and rendered it as well as many other dwellings 

 m the town uninhabitable. On the side of Java the ashes 

 were carried to the distance of 300 miles, and 217 towards 

 Celebes, m sufficient quantity to darken the air. The floating 

 cinders to the westward of Sumbawa formed, on April 12th, 



*• Quart. Geol. Joiirn. vol. ii. p. 103 

 t MS. of J. Crawfiird, Esq. 



J Rafflos's Java, vol. i. p. 28 



3 



f 



