Blown to Bits: The Lonely Man of Rakata, the Malay Archipelago

  CHAPTER EIGHT.

  PERBOEWATAN BECOMES MODERATELY VIOLENT.

  The cave was enshrouded in almost total darkness when they entered it,but this was quickly dispelled, to Nigel's no little surprise, by therays of a magnificent oil-lamp, which Moses lighted and placed on thetable in the larger cave. A smaller one of the same kind alreadyilluminated the kitchen.

  Not much conversation was indulged in during the progress of the supperthat was soon spread upon the rude table. The three men, beinguncommonly hungry and powerfully robust, found in food a sufficientoccupation for their mouths for some time.

  After supper they became a little, but not much, more sociable, for,although Nigel's active mind would gladly have found vent inconversation, he experienced some difficulty in making headway againstthe discouragement of Van der Kemp's very quiet disposition, and thecavernous yawns with which Moses displayed at once his desire forslumber and his magnificent dental arrangements.

  "We always retire early to rest after a day of this sort," said thehermit at last, turning to his guest. "Do you feel disposed for bed?"

  "Indeed I do," said Nigel, with a half-suppressed yawn, that wasirresistibly dragged out of him by the sight of another earthquake onthe negro's face.

  "Come, then, I will show you your berth; we have no bedrooms here," saidthe hermit, with a sort of deprecatory smile, as he led the way to thedarker end of the cavern, where he pointed to a little recess in whichthere was a pile of something that smelt fresh and looked like heather,spread on which there was a single blanket.

  "Sailors are said to be indifferent to sheets. You won't miss them, Idaresay?"

  "Not in the least," returned Nigel, with a laugh. "Good-night," headded, shaking hands with his host and suppressing another yawn, forMoses' face, even in the extreme distance, was irresistibly infectious!

  Our hero was indifferent not only to sheets, but also, in certaincircumstances, to the usual habiliments of night. Indeed, whiletravelling in out-of-the-way regions he held it to be a duty to undressbut partially before turning in, so that he might be ready foremergencies.

  On lying down he found his mattress, whatever it was, to be a springy,luxurious bed, and was about to resign himself to slumber when heobserved that, from the position in which he lay, he could see thecavern in all its extent. Opening his half-closed eyes, therefore, hewatched the proceedings of his host, and in doing so, as well as inspeculating on his strange character and surroundings, he becamesomewhat wakeful.

  He saw that Van der Kemp, returning to the other end of the cave, satdown beside the lamp, the blaze of which fell full on his fine calmcountenance. A motion of his head brought Moses to him, who sat downbeside him and entered into earnest conversation, to judge from hisgestures, for nothing could be heard where Nigel lay save the monotonousmurmur of their voices. The hermit did not move. Except for anoccasional inclination of the head he appeared to be a grand classicstatue, but it was otherwise with the negro. His position in front ofthe lamp caused him to look if possible even blacker than ever, and theblackness was so uniform that his entire profile became stronglypronounced, thus rendering every motion distinct, and the varied poutingof his huge lips remarkably obvious. The extended left hand, too, withthe frequent thrusting of the index finger of the other into the palm,was suggestive of argument, and of much reasoning effort--if not power.

  After about half-an-hour of conversation, Moses arose, shook his masterby the hand, appeared to say "Good-night" very obviously, yawned, andretired to the kitchen, whence, in five minutes or so, there issuedsounds which betokened felicitous repose.

  Meanwhile his master sat motionless for some time, gazing at the flooras if in meditation. Then he rose, went to his book-case and took downa large thick volume, which he proceeded to read.

  Nigel had by that time dropped into a drowsy condition, yet his interestin the doings of his strange entertainer was so great that he struggledhard to keep awake, and partially succeeded.

  "I wonder," he muttered, in sleepy tones, "if that's a f-fam-'ly Biblehe's reading--or--or--a vol'm o' the En-Encyclopida Brit--"

  He dropped off at this point, but, feeling that he had given way to somesort of weakness, he struggled back again in to wakefulness, and sawthat the hermit was bending over the large book with his massive browresting on the palms of both hands, and his fingers thrust into hisiron-grey hair. It was evident, however, that he was not reading thebook at that moment, for on its pages was lying what seemed to be aminiature or photograph case, at which he gazed intently. Nigel rousedhimself to consider this, and in doing so again dropped off--not yetsoundly, however, for curiosity induced one more violent struggle, andhe became aware of the fact that the hermit was on his knees with hisface buried in his hands.

  The youth's thoughts must have become inextricably confused at thispoint, yet their general drift was indicated by the muttered words:

  "I--I'm glad o' that--a good sign--an'--an' it's _not_ th' Encyclop."Here Morpheus finally conquered, and he sank into dreamless repose.

  How long this condition lasted he could not tell, but he was awakenedviolently by sensations and feelings of dread, which were entirely newto him. The bed on which he rested seemed to heave under him, and hisears were filled by sharp rattling sounds, something like--yet verydifferent from--the continuous roll of musketry.

  Starting up, he sprang into the large cavern where he found Van der Kempquietly tightening his belt and Moses hastily pulling on his boots.

  "Sometin's bu'sted an' no mistake!" exclaimed the latter.

  "An eruption from one of the cones," said the hermit. "I have been fora long time expecting it. Come with us."

  He went swiftly up the staircase and passages which led to theobservatory as he spoke.

  The scene that met their eyes on reaching the ledge or plateau wassublime in the extreme, as well as terrific.

  "As I thought," said Van der Kemp, in a low tone. "It is Perboewatanthat has broken out."

  "The cone from which I observed smoke rising?" asked Nigel.

  "The same. The one over the very centre of the old crater, showing thatwe were wrong in supposing it to be extinct: it was only slumbering. Itis in what vulcanologists term moderate eruption now, and, perhaps, mayprove a safety-valve which will prevent a more violent explosion."

  That the cone of Perboewatan was indeed in a state of considerableactivity, worthy of a stronger term than "moderate," was very obvious.Although at a distance, as we have said, of four miles, the glare of itsfires on the three figures perched near the top of Rakata was veryintense, while explosion after explosion sent molten lava and red-hotrocks, pumice, and dust, high into the thickening air--clouds of smokeand steam being vomited forth at the same time. The wind, of whichthere was very little, blew it all away from the position occupied bythe three observers.

  "What if the wind were to change and blow it all this way?" asked Nigel,with very pardonable feelings of discomfort.

  "We could return to the cavern," said the hermit.

  "But what if Rakata itself should become active?"

  It was evident from the very solemn expression on the negro's face thathe awaited the reply to Nigel's question with some anxiety.

  "Rakata," answered the hermit thoughtfully, "although the highest cone,is the one most distant from the great centre of activity. It istherefore not likely that the volcanic energy will seek a vent herewhile there are other cones between us and Perboewatan. But we shallsoon see whether the one vent is likely to suffice. There isundoubtedly no diminution in the explosions at present."

  There certainly was not, for the voice of the speaker was almost drownedby the horrible din caused, apparently, by the hurtling of innumerablefragments of rock and stones in the air, while a succession of fieryflashes, each followed by a loud explosion, lit up the dome-shaped massof vapour that was mounting upwards and spreading over the sky. Vividflashes of lightning were also seen playing around the vapour-column.At the same time, there began a f
all of fine white dust, resemblingsnow, which soon covered the foliage and the ground of all the lowerpart of the island. The sea around was also ere long covered withmasses of pumice, which, being very light, floated away into the Indianocean, and these were afterwards encountered in large quantities byvarious vessels passing through Sunda Straits.

  The Scientific Committee, which ultimately wrote on the details of thiseruption in Krakatoa, mention this first outburst as being a phase ofmoderate activity, similar to that which is said to have been exhibitedfor some months during the years 1680 and 1681, and they added that "theoutburst was one of considerable violence, especially at itscommencement," that falls of dust were noticed at the distance of threehundred miles, and that "the commander of the German war-vessel_Elizabeth_ estimated the height of the dust-column issuing from thevolcano at 11 kilometres (36,000 feet or about 7 miles)."

  To our hero, however, and to Moses, the outburst seemed anything but"moderate," and that night as they two sat together in the cave aftersupper, listening with awe-struck faces to the cannonading and wildmusketry going on as it seemed under their very feet, the negro solemnlyimparted to Nigel in a low whisper that he thought "de end ob de wurldhab come at last!"

  Returning at that moment from his observatory, to which he had ascendedfor a few minutes to view the scene through one of his glasses, Van derKemp relieved their anxieties somewhat by remarking, in his quietmanner, that there was a distinct diminution in the violence of theexplosions, and that, from his knowledge and experience of othervolcanoes in Java, Sumatra, and elsewhere, he thought it probable theyhad seen the worst of it at that time, and that none of the other coneswould be likely to break out.

  "I'm glad to hear you say so," observed Nigel, "for although the sightis extremely magnificent and very interesting, both from a scientificand artistic point of view, I cannot help thinking that we should besafer away from this island at present--at least while the volcano isactive."

  The hermit smiled almost pitifully. "I do not apprehend danger," hesaid, "at least nothing unusual. But it happens that my businessrequires me to leave in the course of a few days at any rate, so,whether the eruption becomes fiercer or feebler, it will not matter tous. I have preparations to make, however, and I have no doubt you won'tobject to remain till all is ready for a start?"

  "Oh, as to that," returned the youth, slightly hurt by the implied doubtas to his courage, "if _you_ are willing to risk going off the earthlike a skyrocket, I am quite ready to take my chance of following you!"

  "An' Moses am de man," said the negro, smiting his broad chest with hisfist, "what's ready to serve as a rocket-stick to bof, an' go up alongwid you!"

  The hermit made the nearest approach to a laugh which Nigel had yetseen, as he left the cave to undertake some of the preparations abovereferred to.

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  Note 1. See _The Eruption of Krakatoa and Subsequent Phenomena_ page11. (Tribner and Company, London.)