h capacious
smile, "Mountain's got de mulligrumps pritty bad jist now."

"We are pretty well accustomed to that," said the host, observing that
Nigel turned to him for an explanation. "No doubt you are aware that
this region is celebrated for earthquakes and volcanoes, so much so that
the inhabitants pay little attention to them unless they become
unusually violent. This island of Krakatoa is itself the fragment of an
extinct volcano; but the term `extinct' is scarcely applicable to
volcanoes, for it is well-known that many which were for centuries
supposed to be extinct have awakened to sudden and violent
activity--`quiescent' might be a more appropriate term."

"Yes," said Moses, ceasing to masticate for purposes of speech; "dem
'stinkt volcanoes hab got an okard habit ob unstinkin' dereselves
hereabouts when you don' 'spect it of 'em. Go on, massa. I ax yer
pard'n for 'truptin'."

The hermit's peculiar good-natured little smile played for a moment on
his massive features, and then faded away as he continued--

"Perhaps you may have heard that this is the very heart of the district
that has long been recognised as the greatest focus of volcanic activity
on the globe?"

"I have heard something of the sort," answered Nigel, "but I confess
that my knowledge is limited and my mind hazy on the subject."

"I doubt it not," returned his friend, "for geographical and scientific
training in primary schools anywhere is not what it might be. The
island of Java, with an area about equal to that of England, contains no
fewer than forty-nine great volcanic mountains, some of which rise to
12,000 feet above the sea-level. Many of these mountains are at the
present time active." ("Yes, much _too_ active," muttered the negro),
"and more than half of them have been seen in eruption since Java was
occupied by Europeans. Hot springs, mud-volcanoes, and vapour-vents
abound all over the island, whilst earthquakes are by no means uncommon.
There is a distinct line in the chain of these mountains which seems to
point to a great fissure in the earth's crust, caused by the
subterranean fires. This tremendous crack or fissure crosses the
Straits of Sunda, and in consequence we find a number of these vents--as
volcanic mountains may be styled--in the Island of Sumatra, which you
saw to the nor'ard as you came along. But there is supposed to be
another great crack in the earth's crust--indicated by several volcanic
mountains--whi