The History of Java, v. 1-2Raffles, Thomas Stamford, Sir
History
The History of Java, v. 1-2
Raffles, Thomas Stamford, Sir
Java (Indonesia) -- History
"It is estimated, that an extent of ground, of the mountain
itself and its immediate environs, fifteen miles long and full
six broad, was by this commotion swallowed up in the bowels of
the earth. Several persons, sent to examine the condition of the
neighbourhood, made report, that they found it impossible to
approach the mountain, on account of the heat of the substances
which covered its circumference, and which were piled on each
other to the height of three feet; although this was the 24th
of September, and thus full six weeks after the catastrophe. It
is also mentioned, that forty villages, partly swallowed up by
the ground and partly covered by the substances thrown out, were
destroyed on this occasion, and that 2,957 of the inhabitants
perished. A proportionate number of cattle was also destroyed,
and most of the plantations of cotton, indigo, and coffee, in the
adjacent districts, were buried under the volcanic matter. The
effects of this explosion are still very apparent on the remains
of this volcano; but I defer an account of it, till I have had an
opportunity of making a more minute examination.
"GUNTUR.--The whole of the eastern part of this mountain is
completely naked, and exposes to view, in a striking manner, the
course of the lavas of the latter eruptions: the top is a regular
cone, and covered with loose fragments of lava. I shall give a
very concise abstract of the observations on the mountain, and on
the different streams of lava which have lately flowed from its
crater. I could distinctly trace, from the base of the conical top
to the roots of the mountain, five different eruptions. The latest
stream of lava which I examined (the mountain has since had a later
eruption) was thrown out in 1800. Its course along the top cannot
be distinctly observed, being completely covered with sand and
small fragments of lava, which generally rise towards the end of an
eruption. At the place where the stream first appeared distinctly,
it was about five yards broad and completely even on the surface:
having proceeded about twenty yards further it gradually widened,
and was formed into a connected stream, higher in the middle, the
sides tapering or inclining towards the top, forming a ridge with
a pointed or sharp back. As the stream arrived at the foot of
the mountain, it spread more and more, and pursued its course to
the eastward, about six hundred yards over the adjacent country.
Its greatest breadth, from north to south, is about one hundred
and sixty yards, and it terminates abruptly by a rounded margin,
consisting of large blocks of lava piled upon each other, nearly
perpendicularly, to the height of fifteen to twenty feet.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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