d to the "discharge of artillery close
at hand," and caused a rattling of doors, windows, pictures, and
chandeliers.

Captain Watson of the _Charles Bal_, who chanced to be only 10 miles
south of the volcano, also compared the sounds to discharges of
artillery, but this only shows the feebleness of ordinary language in
attempting to describe such extraordinary sounds, for if they were
comparable to close artillery at Batavia, the same comparison is
inappropriate at only ten miles' distance. He also mentions the
crackling noise, probably due to the impact of fragments in the
atmosphere, which were noticed by the hermit and Nigel while standing
stunned and almost stupefied on the giddy ledge of Rakata that same
Sunday.

About five in the evening of that day, the brig _Sunshine_ drew still
nearer to the island, but the commotion at the time became so intense,
and the intermittent darkness so profound, that Captain Roy was afraid
to continue the voyage and shortened sail. Not only was there a heavy
rolling sea, but the water was seething, as if about to boil.

"Heave the lead, Mr Moor," said the captain, who stood beside the
wheel.

"Yes, sir," answered the imperturbable second mate, who thereupon gave
the necessary order, and when the depth was ascertained, the report was
"Ten fathoms, sand, with a hot bottom."

"A hot bottom! what do you mean?"

"The lead's 'ot, sir," replied the sailor.

This was true, as the captain found when he applied his hand to it.

"I do believe the world's going on fire," he muttered; "but it's a
comfort to know that it can't very well blaze up as long as the sea
lasts!"

Just then a rain of pumice in large pieces, and quite warm, began to
fall upon the deck. As most people know, pumice is extremely light, so
that no absolute injury was done to any one, though such rain was
excessively trying. Soon, however, a change took place. The dense
vapours and dust-clouds which had rendered it so excessively dark were
entirely lighted up from time to time by fierce flashes of lightning
which rent as well as painted them in all directions. At one time this
great mass of clouds presented the appearance of an immense pine-tree
with the stem and branches formed of volcanic lightning.

Captain Roy, fearing that these tremendous sights and sounds would
terrify the poor girl in the cabin, was about to look in and reassure
her, when the words "Oh! how splendid!" came through the slightly opened