ERUPTION OF GWONG APL 



237 



lived on the lower flanks of Gunong Api, and had 

 sncceeded in forming large groves of nutmeg-treea 

 On the 11th of Jnne of that year, just before twelve 

 o'clock, in an instant, without the slightest warning, 

 an eniption began which was so violent that all the 

 people at once fled to the shore and crossed over in 

 boats to Banda Neii'a Out of the summit rose 

 perpendicularly great masses of ashes, sand, and 

 stones, heated until they gave out light like living 

 coals. The latter hailed down on every side, and^ as 

 the accounts say, "set fire to the woods and soon 

 changed the whole mountain into one immense cone 

 of flame.'^ This happened, unfortunately, duiing the 

 western monsoon ; and so gi'eat a quantity of sand 

 and ashes was brought over to Banda ISieira, that 

 the branches of the nutmeg4rees were loaded down 

 until they broke beneath its weight, and all the 

 parks on the island were totally destroyed. Even 

 the water became undrinkable, frooi the light ashes 

 that filled the aii- and settled down in every crevice. 

 The eruption continued incessantly for thirteen days, 

 and did not wholly cease at the end of six weeks. 

 Bui'ing this convulsion the mountain was apparently 

 split through in a noi*th-northwest and south-south- 

 east direction. The large, active crater which we 

 saw beneath us on the northwestern flanks of the 

 mountain, from the spot where we stopped to lunch, 

 was formed at that time, and another was reported 

 higher up between that new crater and the older 

 one on the top of the mountain. A stream of lava 

 poured down the western side into a small bay, and 

 built up a tongiie of land one hundi*ed and eighty 



