re one hundred and thirty feet high, whose
light the gigantic waves merely succeeded in extinguishing.

A cubic mile of material is said to have been thrown out in the form of
lapilli and dust by the successive explosions. The dust, estimated to
have reached the height of several miles, was disseminated by the upper
currents of air and caused the brilliant sunsets seen for months in
nearly every part of the civilized world.

Celebes is the most curiously shaped island in the world. It has a
central body from which project four large arms, making it look like a
huge starfish. These radiating peninsulas are mountain ranges, here and
there peaked with volcano cinder cones. There are no low-lying marshes;
the position and high surface render this one of the healthiest islands
in the Malay Archipelago.

The Dutch have had settlements here for more than two centuries; and
their wise and just treatment of the natives has made the island famous
for peace and prosperity. Except a few tribes of the interior, all the
islanders are at least partly civilized. The natives who live in the
coast regions are intelligent and industrious. Paganism and corrupted
Muhammadanism are the prevailing religions, but Christianity has secured
a firm hold in a few places. A written language and literature have
prevailed for centuries.

All able-bodied men are compelled to work and each year to give a few
days' labor to keep the excellent roads in good repair; but they reap
the reward of their industry and are happy and contented.

The best coffee land in the East Indies is to be found on this island.
The most favorable soil for coffee is the rich, black volcanic ash that
covers the mountain slopes in many parts of north Celebes.

The Menado coffee is said to be the finest the world produces.

The coffee-trees are allowed to grow to the height of six feet, when the
tops are cut off, so as to strengthen the growth of the lateral branches
which bear the fruit.

Besides a fungus disease, coffee has many other enemies. Both rats and
mice are fond of the juicy stalks of the berries when they are nearly
ripe, and they nibble at them until the berries fall. The long-haired
black rat is the greatest of these pests. Cats are kept on each
plantation to prey upon the animal pests; but, unfortunately, the
natives are very fond of cats--not as pets, but as articles of food.
This feline appetite on the part of the workmen causes the owner to keep
a vigila