n caused, apparently, by the hurtling of innumerable
fragments of rock and stones in the air, while a succession of fiery
flashes, each followed by a loud explosion, lit up the dome-shaped mass
of vapour that was mounting upwards and spreading over the sky. Vivid
flashes of lightning were also seen playing around the vapour-column. At
the same time, there began a fall of fine white dust, resembling snow,
which soon covered the foliage and the ground of all the lower part of
the island. The sea around was also ere long covered with masses of
pumice, which, being very light, floated away into the Indian ocean, and
these were afterwards encountered in large quantities by various vessels
passing through Sunda Straits.

The Scientific Committee, which ultimately wrote on the details of this
eruption in Krakatoa, mention this first outburst as being a phase of
moderate activity, similar to that which is said to have been exhibited
for some months during the years 1680 and 1681, and they added that "the
outburst was one of considerable violence, especially at its
commencement," that falls of dust were noticed at the distance of three
hundred miles, and that "the commander of the German war-vessel
_Elizabeth_ estimated the height of the dust-column issuing from the
volcano at 11 kilometres (36,000 feet or about 7 miles)."[2]

To our hero, however, and to Moses, the outburst seemed anything but
"moderate," and that night as they two sat together in the cave after
supper, listening with awe-struck faces to the cannonading and wild
musketry going on as it seemed under their very feet, the negro solemnly
imparted to Nigel in a low whisper that he thought "de end ob de wurld
hab come at last!"

Returning at that moment from his observatory, to which he had ascended
for a few minutes to view the scene through one of his glasses, Van der
Kemp relieved their anxieties somewhat by remarking, in his quiet
manner, that there was a distinct diminution in the violence of the
explosions, and that, from his knowledge and experience of other
volcanoes in Java, Sumatra, and elsewhere, he thought it probable they
had seen the worst of it at that time, and that none of the other cones
would be likely to break out.

"I'm glad to hear you say so," observed Nigel, "for although the sight
is extremely magnificent and very interesting, both from a scientific
and artistic point of view, I cannot help thinking that we should be
safer away from this