The island of Krakatoa lies in the Straits of Sunda, between Java and Sumatra.  In size it is insignificant, and had been silent so long that its volcanic character was almost lost sight of.  Of its early history we know nothing.  At some remote time in the past it may have appeared as a large cone, of some twenty-five miles in circumference at base and not less than 10,000 feet high.  Then, still in unknown times, its cone was blown away by internal forces, leaving only a shattered and irregular crater ring.  This crater was two or three miles in diameter, while the highest part of its walls rose only a few hundred feet above the sea.  Later volcanic work built up a number of small cones within the crater, and still later a new cone, called Rakata, rose on the edge of the old one to a height of 2,623 feet.

The first known event in the history of the island volcano was an eruption in the year 1680.  After that it lay in repose, forming a group of islands, one much larger than the others.  Some of the smaller islands indicated the rim of the old crater, much of which was buried under the sea.  Its state of quiescence continued for two centuries, a tropical vegetation richly mantled the island, and to all appearance it had sunk permanently to rest.

Indications of a coming change appeared in 1880, in the form of earthquakes, which shook all the region around.  These continued at intervals for more that two years.  Then, on May 20, 1883, there were heard at Batavia, a hundred miles away, “booming sounds like the firing of artillery.”  Next day the captain of a vessel passing through the Straits saw that Krakatoa was in eruption, sending up clouds of smoke and showers of dust and pumice.  The smoke was estimated to reach a height of seven miles, while the volcanic dust drifted to localities 300 miles away.

AWFUL PREMONITIONS

The mountain continued to play for about fourteen weeks with varying activity, several parties meanwhile visiting it and making observations.  Such an eruption, in ordinary cases, would have ultimately died away, with no marked change other than perhaps the ejection of a stream of lava.  But such was not now the case.  The sequel was at once unexpected and terrible.  As the island was uninhabited, no one actually saw what took place, those nearest to the scene of the eruption having enough to do to save their own lives, while the dense clouds of vapor and dust baffled observation.

The phase of greatest violence set in on Sunday, August 26th.  Soon after 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.