^^-W 



III. 





.» 110 



I 





as 



' ^'1 the 

 ^asteru 



A lai^e 

 We 



ouie 



1 



it^ 



most 







pi'' ' vine 



ftrcniity 

 ano had 



5 haviiio- 



' coast. t 



- most 



:ase till 



luraatra, 



v»t line ; 



rfaiioe of 



iviiioe of 

 irhvinds 



within 



. by tlie 

 tiiube^'-^ 



untai"j 



11 



lat tiier 



east of 



^\ 



-elli"?^ 



le a 



.^Iies 



tO^\ 



-ar<l 







Ch. xxviil] earthquake in the island of sumbaava. 



105 



a mass 2 feet tliick^ and several miles in extent^ throngli whicli 

 sliips with difficulty forced their way. 



The darkness occasioned in the daytime by the ashes in 

 Java was so profound^ that nothing equal to it was ever 

 witnessed in the darkest night. Although this volcanic dust 

 when it fell was an impalpable poAvder^ it was of consider- 

 able weight when compressed^ a pint of it weighing twelve 

 ounces and three quarters. ' Some of the finest particles/ 

 says Mr. Crawfurd^ ^were transported to the islands of 

 Amboyna and Banda, which last is about 800 miles east 

 from the site of the volcano^ although the south-east mon- 

 soon was then at its height.' They must have been projected, 

 therefore^ into the upper regions of the atmosphere^ where 

 a counter-current prevailed. 



Along the sea-coast of Sumbawa and the adjacent isles, 

 the sea rose suddenly to the height of from 2 to 12 feet, a 

 great wave rushing np the estuaries, and then suddenly 

 subsiding. Although the wind at Bima was still during the 

 whole time, the sea rolled in upon the shore, and filled the 

 lower parts of the houses with water a foot deep. Every 

 prow and boat was forced from the anchorage, and driven 

 on shore. 



The town called Tomboro, on the west side of SumbaAva, 

 was overflowed by the sea, which encroached upon the shore 

 so that the water remained permanently 18 feet deep in 

 places where there was land before. Here we may observe, 

 that the amount of subsidence of land was apparent, in spite 

 of the ashes, which would naturally have caused the limits 

 of the coast to be extended. ' ' 



The tremulous noises and other volcanic effects of this 

 eruption extended over an area 1,000 statute miles in 

 diameter, having Sumbawa as its centre. It included the 



whole of the Molucca Islands, . 

 Celebes, Sumatra, and Bornec 

 in the same month and year, 

 water, and then closed again.^ 

 In conclusion, I may remin 



Amboy 



28- 



* Eaffl(.s's Hist, of Java, vol. i. p. 25. Ed. Phil. Joiu-n. vol. iii p. 389. 



