Philip Neale

“ My home and all my belongings of course perished — even the clothes I am wearing are borrowed — but I am thankful enough to have escaped with my life, and to be none the worse for all that I have passed through. ”

“ Long before that vessel reached her destination the faithful lighthouse keeper had been swept away. All honor to men such as these, who at duty’s call keep true to their trust and die bravely at their posts.
Batavia is a great shipping centre, vessels coming there from all quarters to bear away the Eastern produce. From the captains of some of the British ships I gleaned much interesting information relating to their passage through the Soenda Straits at the time of the eruption.
The captain of an American vessel told me some of his experiences. ”

“ At length we began to realize the worst. Some fifteen miles or more of the coast had been inundated by the gigantic wave, which had swept over an extent of country several miles in width. Houses, trees, and people had been literally washed away, and the towns of Karang, Merak, Anjer, and Tji-ringin, with many other smaller native villages, had been completely destroyed. Of these places Anjer was the most important. It was a busy, thriving seaport, where sailing vessels frequently called for instructions, and also for supplies of food and water. ”

“ Some idea may be gained of the immense power of the volcanic wave which caused such terrible destruction when we consider its effects on some of the neighboring countries. On the north-west shore of Australia — nearly a thousand miles away — it had not quite spent its fury, and some parts of the flat, sandy coast in the Roebourne district were slightly inundated. ”