596 GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES IN MALAYSIA AND ASIA, 



increased in severity till the beginning of August, when the 

 country for 100 miles and more began to be covered with the 

 ashes. On Sunday, the 27th, Batavia was rendered quite dark, 

 while the explosions were so loud as to be heard in some direc- 

 tions nearly 1,000 miles distant. An immense amount of material 

 was thrown up, and this, no doubt, was causing a stupendous 

 cavity in the crater. At 2 a.m. on Monday the crater collapsed, 

 and subsided with a I'oaiing noise of such terrific intensity as to 

 defy all attempt at description. The regurgitation of the sea 

 into the crater caused two tidal waves 80 or 90 feet high to break 

 upon the coast of Java, utterly devastating the country, destroying 

 many towns and villages, and sweeping over 50.000 people into 

 eternity. Such a catastrophe has no parallel in modern history. 

 The whole coast of western Java was changed beyond recognition: 

 roads, light-houses, and buildings of all kinds disappeared, while 

 at Krakatoa the sea over one part of the crater is more than 100 

 fathoms in depth. The portions of the ancient cone which 

 remain form broken, detached, rocky islands, quite different from 

 their former j)osition and shape, so that a new survey of the 

 locality became immediately necessary. 



The former condition of Krakatoa was that it consisted of one 

 large island, whose greatest diameter was nearly north and south, 

 with a high volcanic cone on the south end. At each side of its 

 northern termination, almost touching it, were two smaller 

 islands, Verlatan and Lang. At present Krakatoa has dis- 

 appeared, except the peak at the south end of the island, which 

 has been bisected by the subsidence, leaving a precipice over 

 1000 feet high, formed of ash and scoriae, with the usual volcanic 

 ejectamenta which form the highest side of craters ; what little 

 is left of the island now has its greatest diameter from east to 

 west, with soundings of from 102 to 106 fathoms on its north- 

 east side. Verlatan and Lang Islands still exist in the same 

 positions and about the same dimensions, but Verlatan is sur- 

 rounded with a number of rocks, reefs, and shoals on the side of 

 the former site of Krakatoa. The soundings hereabouts are 

 otherwise the same ; but there is a general subsidence of the sea- 



