Volume 14 Australasia - dana ward's homepage

160 AUSTRALASIA.The Arjuno chain is connected by a ridge scarcely 1,650 feet high withanother igneous grouj), comprising the Tengger and Semeru volcanoes Theformer has the largest crater in Java, while the latter, to the south of it, is thehighest peak in the island (12,100 feet). From its crater was discharged in 1885a lava stream estimated at over 10,000,000 cubic feet, the first of the kind recordedin Java, where till recently-Tenggeb and Semeku.the volcanoes were supposedScale 1 : 300,000.to eject no molten matter,but only solid substances,such as ashes and stones.Semeru takes its namefrom the Indian Meru, theholy mountain at all timesvenerated by the Hindus andTibetans. Tengger (9,000feet) is of extremely regularform, and from its summitare emitted at short intervalscolumns of vapour and scoria;,black by day, red at night.It was formerly probably ashigh as Semeru ;but of theujtper part all "has disappearedexcept the outer walls, whichform a vast enclosure about15 miles in circuit, here andthere interrupted by gapsand breaches and rising insome places 1,650 feet abovethe inner plain. This levelplain, which was formerly thecrater, and which has a meanaltitude of over 6,500 feet,bears the name of Dasar, or" Sea of Sand," mostly consistingb^.t.t-of the finest dvist,^ ,,.,—^^——^^^^^——^— 6 Miles.movable in dry•'weather, butchanged by the rains to theconsistency of clay. From the centre rise a few sandy hills, one of which, the Bromo,still constantly ejects smoke, and has at times been the scene of tremendous outbursts.Its crater is alternately flooded by a small lake and filled by a mass ofmolten lava. The term Bromo is merely a corruption of Brahma. The last Javanesewho professed the Hindu religion took refuge on the slopes of Tengger, and theirdescendants still celebrate feasts in honour of the Devo-Bromo, or "God Brahma."