CITAP. XIX.] 



TUE rOLCANO. 



287 



volcanoes and earthquakes exists lias ttikcm away somewhat 

 of the sti-ange and exceptional characttjr that really belongs 

 to tliera. The inhabitant of most part>s of northern Europe, 

 sees in the earth the emblem of stability and repose. His 

 whole life-experience, and tliat of all his age and genera- 

 tion, teaches him tiiat the earth in solid and firm, that its 

 massive rocks may enntaiii wsiter in abnndance bnt never 

 Kre ; and these essential characteristics of tlie earth are 

 manifest in every mountain his counti^ contains. A 

 volcano is a fact opposed to all this mass of experience, a 

 fact of so awful a character that, if it were the rule instead 

 of the exception, it wnuld make the earth uninhabitable, 

 a fact so strange and unaccountable that we may be sure 

 it would not be believed on any human testimony, if pre- 

 sented to ns now for the first time, as a natural phenomenon 

 happening in a distant country. 



The summit of the small island is composed of a highly 

 crystalline basalt; lower down I found a hard stratified 

 slaty sandstone, while on the beach are huge blocks of lava, 

 and scattered masses of white coralline limestone. The 

 hirger island has coral rock to a height of tlu'ee or four 

 hundred feet, while jibove is lava and basalt. It seems 

 probable, therefore, that this little group of fouj* islands is 

 the fragment of a larger district which was perhaps once 

 connected with Ceram, but which was separated anil 

 broken up by the siime forces which formed the volcanic 

 cone. When I visited the larger island on another occa- 

 sion, I saw a considerable tract covered with large forest 

 trees, dead, but still standing. This was a record of the 

 last great earthquake only two years ago, when the sea 

 broke in over this part of the island and so Hooded it as to 

 ilestroy the vegetation on all the low lands. Almost every 

 year there is an earthqualve here, and at intervals of a few 

 years very severe ones, which throw down houses and 

 carry ships put of the harbour bodily into the streets. 



Notwithstanding the losses incurred by these terrific 

 visitations, and the small size and isolated position of 

 these little islands, they have been and still are of con- 

 siderable value to the Dutch Government, as the chief 

 nutmeg-garden in the world. Almost the whole surface 

 is planted with nutmegs, grown under the shade of lofty 



