194 ERUPTION OP tOMBOHO. 
ashes, and several large prows thrown on shore by 
the concussion of the sea. Quitting Sumbawa, he' 
with difficulty sailed through a quantity of these 
ashes floating on Ihe sea, which he described as two 
feet thick and several miles in extent." The captain 
of a British vessel, cruising at a considerable dis- 
tance from the island, thus describes the scene r 
" At the commencement of the explosions, they so 
closely resembled those of cannon that it was sup- 
posed there was an engagement of pirates some- 
where in the neighbourhood. Troops were conse- 
quently embarked on board the Benares, and the 
vessel stood out to sea in search of the supposed 
pirates. On the morning of the 12th, the face of 
the heavens to the southward and westward had 
assumed a dark aspect, and it was much darker than 
when the sun rose. As it came nearer it assumed 
a dusky red appearance, and spread over every part 
of the heavens ; by ten it was so dark that a ship 
could hardly be seen a mile distant ; by eleven the 
whole of the heavens was obscured, except a small 
space towards the horizon to the eastward, the 
quarter from which the wind came. The ashes now 
began to fall in showers, and the appearance was 
altogether truly awful and alarming. By noon the 
light that remained in the eastern part of the hori- 
zon disappeared, and complete darkness covered the 
face of day. This continued so profound during the 
day, that it was impossible to see the hand when 
held close to the eyes. 
" The ashes fell without intermission during the 
night, and were so hght and subtile that, notwith- 
standing the precautions of spreading awnings fore 
and aft as much as possible, they pervaded every 
part of the ship. When daylight returned every 
part of the ship was found covered with the falhng 
matter, which had the appearance of calcined pum- 
ice-stone, and nearly the colour of wood ashes. It 
lay in heaps of a foot in depth on many parts of th& 
