ountain
was taking place. Stones, cinders, and ashes came bursting through the
air, and crashing down not many hundred yards it seemed from where we
lay. The ocean, too, was fearfully agitated, and wave upon wave with
loud roars rolled towards the beach. The people on shore stretched out
their arms imploring us to take them in, but we could not save them.
Had we attempted it our destruction would have been inevitable. The
boat's head had been got round, and we pulled as we had never pulled
before. The fearful shower rapidly increased. A boiling sea washed
over the point, and the hapless beings who stood there disappeared. Not
a cry was heard, their death had been instantaneous. Even those who had
endeavoured to escape by swimming must have been in a moment
overwhelmed. Fast as we pulled, the shower of ashes from the mountain
seemed to be following us still faster, and we could see that the shower
stretched away even towards the ship.

Happily the calm continued, and we succeeded in getting on board. The
poor people we had rescued, while profuse in expressing their thanks to
us, gave vent to their grief at the loss of their relations and friends.
We understood also from them that there were other villages in the
interior, which, with all their inhabitants, must have been utterly
destroyed.

We afterwards heard that two thousand persons perished. The people on
board were of the Malay race, and, except through our interpreters, Ned
and Charley, we could not understand a word they said; indeed, the two
seamen could only partly make out their language. We ourselves were not
altogether satisfied with our position. A strong wind might spring up
and drive us on shore, and we were still so near the volcano that it
might cover us, not only with ashes, but with huge masses of rock and
stones, which might come crashing down upon us and send us to the
bottom. All hands were on deck ready to trim sails the moment the wind
should come. We had not long to wait. A loud rushing sound was heard.
The canvas gave several loud flaps. The captain had feared that the
heat from the burning island might draw the wind towards us. So it did,
but, happily for us, it came from the north-west, though we could not
tell to what quarter it might suddenly shift.

The yards were braced up on the starboard tack, and we stood away from
the island, with the blazing forests on our port-quarter.

The captain's great object now was to get