204 



On the Volcanic Eruption in Sunda Strait. [Jan. 10, 



of notice. Thus on board the " Governor- General London" the mud 

 rain* which covered the masts, rigging, and decks, was phosphorescent, 

 and on the rigging presented the appearance of St. Elmo's fire. The 

 natives engaged themselves busily in putting this phosphorescent light 

 out with their hands, and were so intent on this occupation that the 

 stokers left the engine-rooms for this purpose, so that the European 

 engineers were left to drive the machinery for themselves. The 

 natives pleaded that if this phosphorescent light, or any portion of it, 

 found its way below a hole would burst in the ship : not that they 

 feared the ship taking fire, but they thought the light was the work 

 of evil spirits, and that if the ill-omened light found its way below 

 the evil spirits would triumph in their design to scuttle the ship. 



Recent telegrams from the scene of the disaster describe the native 

 population as hostile, and inclined to attribute the catastrophe to the 

 vengeance of heaven pursuing the Dutch for their conduct in Acheen. 

 Such Europeans as escaped the eruption are now reported to be in 

 danger of being murdered by the natives. 



These accounts are, however, possibly exaggerated. The Dutch 

 officials make light of them, and deny that there is any ground for 

 political disquietude. 



Krakatau Island before the eruption was 822 metres high. 



Pulo Bessi, the neighbouring island, was 849 metres high. 



The earthquake waves which deluged Anjer and the neighbouring 

 coasts were two in number ; the second was higher than the first, but 

 the first was reckoned to have been 13 feet high when it touched the 

 land. 



There was an hour's interval between these two waves. 



The shock of these waves (or of one of them) drove the ships and 

 the dry-dock in Ourust Island, near Batavia, from their anchorage. 



The earthquake wave was still as much as 6 feet high when it 

 struck the shore at a place called Sembilangan Laoet, more than 

 2 English miles to the eastward of Batavia, and there it killed at 

 least seven people. 



At Tjiringen, on the Sunda Straits, the earthquake waves are 

 reckoned to have killed 10,000 people, and it is also known that these 

 waves have flooded the coasts further southward, as far as Paniem- 

 bang river, in Pepper Bay (how much further has not yet been ascer- 

 tained) . To the east ward a reference to the map will show that the 

 promontory ending in St. Nicholas Point, and which shelters Bantam 

 Bay, is mountainous, containing two peaks, 640 and 634 metres high 

 respectively. 



Hence, as far as I can ga.ther from the recent reports, the earth- 

 quake waves appear not to have done much damage to Bantam Bay, 



* It is supposed to have been raining violently at the time ; the rain mingled 

 with the ash and formed the " mud." 



