EKUPTION OF TOMBORO. 193 
threw up the hill called Monte Nuovo upm its site. 
After no less than 20 shocks of an ear thquake, 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 
kbove 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 : " 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 
