199 



,,ohne die Menschen auf der Unternehmung von dem brennenden Eiland 

 ,,abzuholen, befahl dem Schiffskapitan sofort zuriickzukehren, um die 

 ,,dortigen Menschen zu retten. 



,,Zwei Dinge kommen bei dieser Brandstiftung in Betracht. Einer- 

 ,,seits wie es nur moglich ist, dass man ein so wertvolles Forschungs- 

 ,,objekt der Neuentwickelung von Pflanzen und Tierwelt, das sicher 

 ,,nicht leicht mehr vorkommt, so leichtsinnig der Vernichtung preis- 

 ,,geben konnte. Anderseits mochte ich sagen, dass das eben genannte 

 ,,wissenschaftliche Opfer zu gross und zu riskant, an Menschenleben 

 ,,dabei noch nahezu unersetzlich war, um mich aus Krakatau herauszu- 

 ,,brennen, denn es ist unmoglich anzunehmen, dass der gelehrte Brand- 

 ,,stifter nicht eben so weit denken kann als der ganzlich ungebildete 

 ,,inlandische Fischer, der am Strande, weit von bewachsenem Grund, 

 ,,die Brandgefahr fiirchtend, sein Feuer zum trocknen seiner Fische 

 ,,und zum Kochen macht, ganz abgesehen von strafbarer Handlung". 



The bitterness with which Mr. H a n d I speaks of this impardonable 

 imprudence by which his properties might have been seriously damaged, 

 is quite justifiable. The vegetation on the island burned for days, 

 the conflagration spread far up and around the mountain till finally 

 the rains quenched the fire. 



The long stay of Mr. H a n d I and his many followers on Kra- 

 katao, the frequent communication with Java, the import of many 

 coolies and goods from there must temporarily at least -- have 

 influenced the flora of the island as it has its fauna. A large clearing 

 was made for a house and garden, paths were cut through the 

 vegetation, many trees around the house were felled for fuel, dom- 

 estic animals with part at least of their food, and plants or seeds 

 for cultivation were introduced. Ruderal plants and weeds of agri- 

 culture, always following man and settling wherever he settles, must 

 have come over *). The great fire of 1919 must have killed an im- 

 mense number of herbs, shrubs and joung trees. The son of Mr. H a nd 1 

 informed Dr. Arrhenius that two years after the great fire its 

 vestiges were still discernible everywhere. 



Now that Krakatao has been definitively left by its inhabitants 

 it is to be expected that the jungle will invade the old premises and 

 kill out most of the cultivated plants and ruderal weeds. Perhaps this 

 has already happened If the island remains a Nature Monument, the 



') Though several such weeds were found in 1919 by Mr. Docters van 

 L e e u w e n and were recorded in Appendix I to his paper on the excursions of that 

 year (See Chapter XI), he nevertheless does not make any mention in this paper of 

 Krakatao being inhabited. 



