200 



The National Geographic Magazine 



The actual time devoted to reaching 

 and exploring this region, exclusive of 

 our Assiniboine trip, was four weeks. 

 The fact that not more than one-tenth 

 of Dawson's "blank area" was inves- 



tigated in that time, under every favor- 

 able circumstance of fine weather, com- 

 petent men, and excellent outfit, gives 

 an idea of the vast amount of work that 

 still remains for future exploration. 



THE ERUPTION OF KRAKATOA 



By Sir Robert Ball 



The folloicing description by Sir Robert Ball of the eruption oj Krakatoa will 

 be read with special interest at the present time. It is taken from his book, li The 

 Eartli 1 s Beginning ," just published by D. Appleton & Co., and which is leviewed 

 on another page of this number. 



UNTIL, the year 1883 few had ever 

 heard of Krakatoa. It was un- 

 known to fame, as are hundreds 

 of other gems of glorious vegetation set 

 in tropical waters. It was not inhab- 

 ited, but the natives from the surround- 

 ing shores of Sumatra and Java used 

 occasionally to draw their canoes up on 

 its beach while they roamed through 

 the jungle in search of the wild fruits 

 that there abounded. Geographers in 

 early days hardly condescended to notice 

 Krakatoa. The name of the island on 

 their maps would have been far longer 

 than the island itself. It was known 

 to the mariner who navigated the Straits 

 of Sunda, for it was marked on his 

 charts as one of the perils of the intri- 

 cate navigation in those waters. It 

 was no doubt recorded that the^ locality 

 had been once, or more than once, the 

 seat of an active volcano. In fact, the 

 island seemed to owe its existence to 

 some frightful eruption of bygone days, 

 but for a couple of centuries there had 

 been no fresh outbreak. It almost 

 seemed as if Krakatoa might be re- 

 garded as a volcano that had become 

 extinct. In this respect it would only 

 be like many other similar objects all 

 over the globe, or like the countless ex- 

 tinct volcanoes all over the moon. 



In 1883 Krakatoa suddenly sprang 

 into notoriety. Insignificant though it 

 had hitherto seemed, the little island 

 was soon to compel by its tones of thun- 

 der the whole world to pay it instant 

 attention. It w r as to become the scene 

 of a volcanic outbreak so appalling that 

 it is destined to be remembered through- 

 out the ages. In the spring of that 

 year there were symptoms that the vol- 

 canic powers in Krakatoa were once 

 more about to awake from the slumber 

 that had endured for many generations. 

 Notable warnings were given. Earth- 

 quakes were felt, and deep rumblings 

 proceeded from the earth, showing that 

 some disturbance was in preparation, 

 and that the old volcano was again to 

 burst forth after its long period of rest. 



At first the eruption did not threaten 

 to be of any serious type. In fact, the 

 good people of Batavia, so far from 

 being terrified at what was in progress 

 in Krakatoa, thought the display was 

 such an attraction that they chartered 

 a steamer and went forth for a pleasant 

 picnic to the island. Man}' of us, I am 

 sure, would have been delighted to have 

 been able to join the part}' who were to 

 witness so interesting a spectacle. With 

 cautious steps the more venturesome of 

 the excursion party clambered up the 



