midday sailors on passing ships saw that the island had vanished behind
a dense cloud of black vapor, the height of which was estimated at not
less than seventeen miles. At intervals frightful detonations resounded,
and after a time a rain of pumice began to fall at places ten miles
distant. For miles round fierce flashes of lightning rent the vapor,
and at a distance of fully forty miles ghostly corposants gleamed on the
rigging of a vessel.

These phenomena grew more and more alarming until August 27th, when four
explosions of fearful intensity shook earth and sea and air, the third
being "far the most violent and productive of the most widespread
results." It was, in fact, perhaps the most tremendous volcanic
outburst, in its intensity, known in human history. It seemed to
overcome the obstruction to the energy of the internal forces, for the
eruption now declined, and in a day or two practically died away, though
one or two comparatively insignificant outbursts took place later.

FAR-REACHING DESTRUCTION

The eruption spread ruin and death over many surrounding leagues. At
Krakotoa itself, when men once more reached its shores, everything was
found to be changed. About two-thirds of the main island were blown
completely away. The marginal cone was cut nearly in half vertically,
the new cliff falling precipitously toward the centre of the crater.
Where land had been before now sea existed, in some places more than
one hundred feet deep. But the part of the island that remained had been
somewhat increased in size by ejected materials.

Of the other islands and islets some had disappeared; some were
partially destroyed; some were enlarged by fallen debris, while many
changes had taken place in the depth of the neighboring sea-bed. Two
new islands, Steers and Calmeyer, were formed. The ejected pumice, so
cavernous in structure as to float upon the water, at places formed
great floating islands which covered the sea for miles, and sometimes
rose from four to seven feet above it, proving a serious obstacle
to navigation. On vessels near by dust fell to the depth of eighteen
inches. The enormous clouds of volcanic dust which had been flung high
into the air darkened the sky for a great area around. At Batavia, about
a hundred miles from the volcano, it produced an effect not unlike that
of a London fog. This began about seven in the morning of August 27th.
Soon after ten the light had become lurid and yellow, and l