olcanoes, active or extinct, have steep black
beaches of volcanic sand, or are fringed with rugged masses of lava and
basalt. Coral is generally absent, occurring only in small patches in
quiet bays, and rarely or never forming reefs. Ternate, Tidore, and
Makian belong to this class. Islands of volcanic origin, not themselves
volcanoes, but which have been probably recently upraised, are generally
more or less completely surrounded by fringing reefs of coral, and
have beaches of shining white coral sand. Their coasts present volcanic
conglomerates, basalt, and in some places a foundation of stratified
rocks, with patches of upraised coral. Mareh and Motir are of this
character, the outline of the latter giving it the appearance of having
been a true volcano, and it is said by Forrest to have thrown out
stones in 1778. The next day (Oct. 12th), we coasted along the island of
Makian, which consists of a single grand volcano. It was now quiescent,
but about two centuries ago (in 1646) there was a terrible eruption,
which blew up the whole top of the mountain, leaving the truncated
jagged summit and vast gloomy crater valley which at this time
distinguished it. It was said to have been as lofty as Tidore before
this catastrophe. [Soon after I' left the Archipelago, on the 29th of
December, 1862, another eruption of this mountain suddenly took place,
which caused great devastation in the island. All the villages and crops
were destroyed, and numbers of the inhabitants killed. The sand and
ashes fell so thick that the crops were partially destroyed fifty miles
off, at Ternate, where it was so dark the following day that lamps
had to be lighted at noon. For the position of this and the adjacent
islands, see the map in Chapter XXXVII.]

I stayed some time at a place where I saw a new clearing on a very steep
part of the mountain, and obtained a few interesting insects. In the
evening we went on to the extreme southern point, to be ready to pass
across the fifteen-mile strait to the island of Kaioa. At five the next
morning we started, but the wind, which had hitherto been westerly, now
got to the south and southwest, and we had to row almost all the way
with a burning sun overhead. As we approached land a fine breeze sprang
up, and we went along at a great pace; yet after an hour we were no
nearer, and found we were in a violent current carrying us out to sea.
At length we overcame it, and got on shore just as the sun set, havin