OCR Rendition - approximate

268 1VA T Li RI JYan. 17, 1884 speed at which the latter was continually rising The steadiness of the rise of the latter from early manhood to late years is very striking ; it is almost in a straight line. I have not sufficient data to justify me to say when its curve culminates ; I have closed it at ;o with a clotted line. It is only necessary to add that the ledgers of Messrs. Berry are a quarry from which, with some labour, much further information of the kind just given might be drawn. Perhaps the publication of this paper will suggest methods of treating them that have not occurred to myself. THE ERUPTION OF KR AKATOA1 " SIXTEEN volcanoes now wor'cing between the spot where Krakatoa was before and Sebesie." Such was one of the first reports which was sent by cable to Singapare, and which we heard at Pontianak. Never before had we been so longing for news from Java, for when H.M. ship Hydro raaf steamed into the PadangTikar River, we heard heavy detonations and explosions like far-off shots, so that we were alarmed about Java. As we expected, our ship was soon ordered to survey the Sunda Straits. This survey was finished at the end of October, and the reader will probably feel interested to know what really has happened there. Krakatoa has not entirely disappeared, while, till now, no new volcanoes are visible in the neighbourhood. But the report that new islands were said to have after half of the mountain had crumbled away, had flowed over the wall, which is still there. What remains of the slopes is covered with a grayish-yellow stuff (which, as plainly appears, had been in a melted or fluid state), full of cracks or splits from which steam is continually coming out. In the same way steam is also coming forth from the deeper cracks of the steep wall, which is still remaining, Sometimes this is accompanied by slight explosions ; at that time clouds of brown dust fly up from the cracks, and stones roll down which are often so big as to disturb the sea around the entire base of the mountain. Our VIG. ,.-Krakatoa after the eruption in May, after a drawing of the . atibtary Survey Burt au, Batavia. entire survey of1the north of Krakatoa suggested the idea that we were above a crater which had been filled with water and quenched by it, and this idea was still strengthened on observing that the decrease of depth, south of Sebesie, bad principally been caused by matters which were cast out and flung away. Almost in every place here the lead came up from the bottom, filled with black sand or carbonised dust, sometimes mixed with pulverised pumice-stone and little black stones, which apparently had been in a red-hot or melted state. Moreover, the soundings were very different, and the new rocks resemble clods of substances which, when FRANCIS GALTON -F nG, ; Teak of Krakao_a after th° eruption in August. by 31.~,. van Doom. in a melted or very hot state, had contact with water. i Probably such a whimsical shape of the rocks above the sea-level suggests the state of the bottom of the sea in - the neighbourhood. The stones were still too hot to allow us to discover whether massive stones are under .-Krakatoa during the eruption of May, after a dra.ving of the Military Survey Bureau, Batavia. the pumice-stone also. It was not difficult, it is true, to knock off large pieces of these rocks by a hatchet or a arisen between Sebesie and Krakatoa is easily to be chopper, but when a big block fell unexpectedly down, explained, for the new islands are like a mass of smoking the sailors had often to flee on account of the gases and steaming rocks, and if seen from afar they may :1 which suddenly arose. The knocked off pieces which easily suggest the idea of a great number of working I,, were brought on board were still warm after they had volcanoes. But, when looked at closely, it appeared that been in the boat for an hour. the masses of rock were composed of hot pumice. stone, mixed with eruptive masses. In them there were a great many cracks and splits, in which, by the heavy breakers, steam of water was continually generated. The northern part of the island has entirely disappeared. At what is now the northern edge the peak j rises nearly perpendicularly from the sea, and forms a FIG. 4.-Peak of ebetie and the volcanic rocks before it, by M. C. van ours 1-1 and shows a vertical cutting i Door°. ed and rugged wall, (which is more than 8oo metres high) of Krakatoa. Where was land before, there is now no bottom to be found ; at least we could not fathom it with lines of 200 fathoms (36o metres) long. When we had quite calm weather, and steamed slowly and cautiously to and fro along the base of the peak, or had turned off steam and let the ship drift, and were busy in measuring the depth, we could distinctly see the different strata and rocks of the bare, opened mountain. Only here and there a slight trace of melted volcanic matter was to be seen, which, z By M. C. van Doorn, officer in command of H.M ship Hydrograaf. Translated (an I partially abridged) by E. Metzger from Eigerc Haa,t, r883, No. 51. F G As is to be seen from the map, a great part of the lost ground of Krakatoa is found again at the bottom of the sea, a few miles to the north at least, if we suppose that no undulations of the ground took place. After having passed the limits to which the matters were thrown out, one finds the same soundings as were found before, and the decrease of depth is so local that the idea of an upraised bottom is dissipated at once. If such an elevation bad taken place, it certainly would be remarked over a far greater extent and be more regularly ascending and descending. The firmer and stronger part of the crater wall, the peak of Krakatoa, which is still there, CIibPDF - www.fastio.com