166 
COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 
later. It may be said without exaggeration that the 
effects of the eruption manifested themselves in one way 
or another over the greater part of the surface of the 
globe. 
The changes at the focus of eruption are best realised 
by a comparison of the survey of the straits after the 
disaster with the former Admiralty charts. Shortly they 
consist of the blowing away of the whole of the northern 
part of the island of Krakatau, a mass of land 3^ miles 
in length by 2 in width. Where there was formerly dry 
land there are now soundings of 90 fathoms, while in 
one place bottom was not reached at 164 fathoms. Of 
the two neighbouring islands one, Lang Island, remained 
much as before ; the other, Yerlaten Island, was increased 
to more than thrice its original area. The bed of the sea 
for some five or six miles to the north appears to have 
been raised many fathoms, and in depths of 60 feet or 
more two islands were formed by the scoriae. These, 
however, were not able to resist the action of the sea and 
have since disappeared. 
That this elevation of the sea-bottom was connected 
with the production of the great seismic wave already 
mentioned, which overwhelmed all the villages of the 
littoral, is most probable. However produced, it will long 
be remembered as one of the most astonishing natural 
phenomena on record. It does not seem to have been 
felt by any person on board the vessels at that moment 
in the neighbourhood of Krakatau, and although the sky 
and land phenomena were of such an appalling character 
as doubtless to divert attention in great measure, still it 
is evident that, had the wave approached the height it 
was recorded to measure on striking the shores of the 
strait, it would probably have overwhelmed the ships, and 
certainly could not have escaped observation. It may 
