ERUPTION OF TOMBORO. 



193 



threw up the hill called Monte Nuovo upon its site. 

 After no less than 20 shocks of an earthquake, which 

 occurred in the space of 24 hours, a large fissure ap- 

 proached the town, with a tremendous noise and 

 with the emission of flame, and began to discharge 

 mud, composed of pumice-stones and ashes mixed 

 with water, with some blocks of solid stone. The 

 ashes, by which the town was entirely overwhelm- 

 ed, fell in immense quantities even at Naples, while 

 the neighbouring town of Puzzuoli was deserted by 

 its inhabitants. The sea suddenly retired 200 yards, 

 and a portion of its bed was left dry. The whole 

 coast from Monte Nuovo to beyond Puzzuoli was 

 at that time upraised to the height of many feet 

 above the bed of the Mediterranean, and has ever 

 since permanently remained elevated. The hill, 

 which was thrown up in a day and a night, was 440 

 feet high above the level of the bay, and its base 

 nearly a mile and a half in circumference. The 

 depth of the crater is supposed to be 421 feet from 

 the summit of the hill, so that its bottom is only 19 

 feet above the level of the sea. 



Sir Stamford Raffles gives the following account 

 of a volcanic eruption from Tomboro, on the island 

 of Sumbawa : 14 The first explosions were heard at 

 various distant places, where they were generally 

 mistaken for discharges of artillery. They com- 

 menced on the 5th and continued till the 18th of 

 April, when the eruptions became more violent ; 

 and such a great discharge of ashes took place that 

 the day was obscured, and darkness prevailed over 

 considerable distances. A Malay prow, which was 

 at sea, at a great distance from the island, was on 

 the 11th enveloped in utter darkness; and after- 

 ward, while passing the island, the commander ob- 

 served that the lower part appeared in flames, while 

 the upper portion was concealed in clouds. Upon 

 landing for the purpose of procuring water, he found 

 the ground covered to the depth of three feet by 



