Philip Neale

“ Java is a long, narrow island, situate six degrees south of the equator, and although its area is only that of Ireland, it is the unfortunate possessor of more than forty volcanoes. Of course the greater part of these are extinct or inactive, but still there are about a dozen which are liable at any moment to break out afresh in their work of destruction. Running from east to west through the centre of the island is a lofty range of mountains, in many places as much as ten thousand feet above the ocean level. ”

“ Not long afterwards I steamed down the canal in a launch, and saw the destruction which had been caused. In several places the massive brickwork lining, the sides had been swept away, leaving huge gaps in the masonry of many feet. The surrounding country also had been seriously inundated, great pools of water being visible everywhere. Fortunately the loss of life in Batavia was very small, and must have been confined to the natives who are always to be found along the banks of the canal. ”

“ The average temperature in Batavia is about seventy-five degrees at night, and eighty-five degrees by day, but then it must be remembered that the Java heat is moist and damp, and consequently much more unhealthy and injurious than an increased range of the thermometer in a drier climate. ”

“ At the opposite end of Java, on the western shore, in the busy Strait of Soenda, is another island somewhat similar to Bali, called Krakatoa, famous now for the great eruption which took place there in 1883. A volcano at rest is one thing, but a volcano at work is a very different sight, as the following description will soon show. The Krakatoa eruption was by no means an ordinary occurrence, even in Java, where such outbursts are so frequent ”

“ For six months at a time, that is from April to October, scarcely any rain ever falls, and in a country such as Java, notorious for its unhealthy climate and damp, unwholesome heat, the commencement of the wet monsoon is always a welcome period. ”

“ For many years there had been no eruption or volcanic disturbance on the island, and at one time there did not seem much prospect of its ever again being classed among volcanoes at work. But the old proverb about appearances being deceptive proved just as true in Netherlands-India as in more civilized regions. ”

“ The Dutch island of Java has always been famous for its volcanoes and the frequency of their outbursts. With the exception of Japan, there is no other portion of the world where so many of these fiery monsters are to be found gathered together in so small a compass. ”

“ Although months have gone by since it occurred, I do not think an eye-witness’s account of a catastrophe which swept away in a few moments, with scarcely any warning, some fifty thousand souls, as well as destroyed a large territory, can yet be quite devoid of interest. ”