308 Proceedings of Societies. 
English miles. Looking at a map on which the volcanic regions 
of the Archipelago are marked out—those which are subject to earth- 
quakes which are of voleanic origin, and which abound more or less in 
extinct as well as active voleanoes,—we see at a glance that the great 
islands of Borneo and Celebes form the central mass around which the 
voleanic islands are distributed, so as rudely to follow their outline 
and embrace them on every side but one in a vast fiery girdle. Along 
this great volcanic band (about 5000 miles in length) at least fifty 
mountains are continually active, visibly emitting smoke or vapour; 
a much larger number are known to have been in eruption during the 
last 300 years; while the number which are so decidedly of volcanic 
origin that they may at any moment burst forth again, must be reckoned 
by hundreds. It is not now my object to describe the many fearful erup- 
tions that have taken place in this region. In the amount of injury to 
life and property, and in the magnitude of their effects, they have not 
been surpassed by any upon record. Forty villages were destroyed by 
the eruption of Papandayang in Java, where the whole mountain was 
blown up by repeated explosions, and a large lake left in its place By 
the great eruption of Tomboro in Sumbawa, 12,000 people were destroyed, 
and the ashes darkened the air, and fell thick upon the earth and sea for 
300 miles round. Even quite recently, since I quitted the country, a 
mountain which has been quiescent for more than 200 years snddenly 
burst into activity. The island of Makian, one of the Moluccas, was rent 
open in 1646 by a violent eruption which left a huge chasm on one side, 
extending into the heart of the mountain. It was, when I last visited it, 
clothed with vegetation to the summit, and contained twelve populous 
Malay villazes. Onthe 29th of December 1862, after 215 years of perfect 
inaction, it again suddenly burst forth, blowing up and completely altering 
the appearance of the mountain, destroying the greater part of the in- 
habitants, and sending forth such volumes of ashes as to darken the air 
at Ternate, 40 miles off, and almost entirely to destroy the growing crops 
on that and the surrounding islands. The island of Java contains more 
voleanoes, active and extinct, than any other known district of equal ex- 
tent. They are about forty-five in number, and many of them exhibit 
most beautiful examples of the voleanic cone on a large scale, single or 
double, with entire or truncated summits, and averaging 10,000 feet high. 
It is now well ascertained that almost all voleanoes have been slowly 
built up by the accumulation of the matter—mud, ashes, and lava—ejected 
by themselves. The openings or craters, however, frequently shift their 
position ; so that a country may be covered with a more or less irregular 
series of hills in chains and masses, only here and there rising into lofty 
cones, and yet the whole may be produced by true volcanic action. In 
' this manner the greater part of Java has been formed. The great island 
of Sumatra exhibits in proportion to its extent a much smaller number of 
voleanoes, and a considerable portion of it has had probably a non-voleanic 
origin. Going northward, Amboyna, a part of Bouru, and the west end 
of Ceram, the north part of Gilolo and all the small islands around it, the 
northern extremity of Celebes, and the islands of Siau and Sauguir are 
wholly voleanic. The Philippine Archipelago contains many active and 
extinct voleanoes. In striking contrast with this region of subterranean 
fires, the island of Celebes in all its southern peninsulas, the great mass 
of Borneo, and the Malay peninsula, are not known to contain a single 
volcano, active or extinct. ‘To the east of the voleanic band is another 
quiescent area of 1000 miles wide, the great island of New Guinea being 
free from voleanoes and earthquakes. Towards its eastern extremity, 
