And the sounds thus heard were not merely like distant thunder. In Batavia--although, as we have said, 100 miles off--they were so violent during the whole of that terrible Sunday night as to prevent the people from sleeping. They were compared 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 'ot bottom."
"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.