1.About eleven o’clock on Sunday morning，the thirteenth of May 1883，the trouble began.Java，Sumatra，and Borneo were convulsed by earthquakes.The surface of the earth rocked，houses tumbled down，and big trees were shaken out of the ground.Earth-quakes are no rarity in these islands，but this earth-quake showed no signs of ceasing.The earth quivered constantly，and from its depths there seemed to rise strange sounds and hollow explosions.
2.On Thursday there came a telegram from Anjer，ninety miles away，on the north-west coast of Java，intimating that a volcano had broken out on Krakatoa island，about thirty miles west of Anjer，in Sunda Strait.I was requested by the Dutch Government to go to thescene of action and take scientific observations，andby four o‘clock that afternoon I started with a party on board a special steamer from Batavia.
3.As we rounded the northern extremity of Java，we saw ascending from Krakatoa，still fifty miles away，an immense column of smoke.Its appearance changed as we approached：first it looked like flame，then it would appear to be steam，and again it would take the appearance of a pillar of fire inside one of white fleecywool.The diameterof this pillar of fire and smoke Ishould put down at one and a half miles.All the while we heard that sullen，thunderous roar which had been a feature of this disturbance ever since Sunday，and was now becoming louder.
4.We remained on deck all night and watched.The din increased till we could with difficulty hear one another’s voices.Dawn approached，and when the rays of the sun fell on the shores of Krakatoa，we saw them reflected from what we thought was a river，andwe resolved to steam into its mouth and disembark.When we came to within three-quarters of a mile of the shore，we discovered that what we supposed to be a river was a torrent of molten sulphur.The smell almost overpowered us.We steamed away to windward，and made for the other side of the island.
5.This island，though volcanic，had up till now been quiet for at least a century.It was eight or ten miles long and four wide，and was covered with forests of fine mahogany and rosewood trees.It was inhabited by a few fishermen，but we found to signs of these inhabitants.The land，down to the water‘s edge，was covered with powdered pumice stone，which rained down from the clouds around the great column of fire.Everything with life had already disappeared from the landscape，which was covered with a steaming mass of stones and ashes.
6.Several of us landed，and began walking inland.We sank deep in the soft pumice，which blistered our feet with its heat.I climbed painfully upwards towardsthe crater，in order to measure it by my sextant；butin a short time the heat melted the mercuryoff themirror of the instrument.I was then half a mile fromthe crater.As I retraced my steps towards the shore，I saw the bottom of each footprint I had made on my way up glowing red with the heat from beneath.We photographed the scene from the deck of the steamer，where the fire-hose was kept playing constantly，wetting the rigging and everything about the ship toprevent her taking fire.
7.The steamer then returned to Batavia，and I went to reside at Anjer，where，from my villa on the hillside a mile inland，I could see Krakatoa，thirty miles away，belching out its never-ending eruption.We supposed that it would go on till it burned itself out，and then become quiet again.
8.On Sunday morning，the twelfth day of August，nearly three months after，I was sitting on the veranda of my house taking my morning cup of tea.I saw the fishing-boats lying at anchor in the bay，the fishermen themselves being on shore at rest.As my gaze rested on the boats，I suddenly became aware that they were allbeginning to move rapidly in one direction.Then in an instant，to my intense surprise，they all disappeared.
9.I ran further up the hillside to get a better view，and looked far out to sea.Instantly a great glare of fire right in the midst of the sea caught my eye.All the way across the bay and the strait，in a line of flame reaching to Krakatoa itself，the bottom of the sea seemed tohave cracked open so that the subterraneanfires werebelching forth.On either side the waters were pouring into this gulf with a tremendous noise，but the fire was not extinguished.The hissing roar brought out the people of Anjer in excited crowds.
10.My eyes were turned away for a moment as I beckoned to some one，and during that moment came a terrible，deafening explosion.It stunned me；and when I was able again to turn my eyes to the bay，I could see nothing.The whole scene was shrouded in darkness，from amid which came cries and groans，the creaking of breaking beams in the houses，and above all the roar of the breakers on the shore.The city of Anjer，with itssixty thousand people，had been engulfed ！
11.I after wards found that the water was one hundred feet deep where the city of Anjer had been，and that the coast-line had moved one and a half miles inland，where the city of New Anjer is now built.A big island in the strait had been split in two，with a wide passage between its two parts.An island to the north-west of Krakatoa had disappeared.Along the coast of Java for fifteen or twenty miles many new islands were formed which afterwards disappeared.The air was filled with minute particles of dust，which after someweeks spread even to Europe and America.What the causes of such a tremendous convulsion may have been it is quite impossible accurately to say.
