Blown to Bits; or, The Lonely Man of Rakata by R. M. Ballantyne
Produced by Michael Oltz, Suzanne Lybarger, Martin Pettitand the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
Blown to Bits or The Lonely Man of Rakata]
CAME UNEXPECTEDLY ON A CAVERN."--PAGE112.--(_Frontispiece_.)]
BLOWN TO BITS
OR
THE LONELY MAN OF RAKATA.
A Tale of the Malay Archipelago.
BY R.M. BALLANTYNE,
AUTHOR OF "BLUE LIGHTS, OR HOT WORK IN THE SOUDAN;" "THE FUGITIVES;""RED ROONEY;" "THE ROVER OF THE ANDES;" "THE WILD MAN OF THE WEST;" "THERED ERIC;" "FREAKS ON THE FELLS;" "THE YOUNG TRAWLER;" "DUSTY DIAMONDS;""THE BATTERY AND THE BOILER;" "POST HASTE;" "BLACK IVORY;" "THE IRONHORSE;" "FIGHTING THE FLAMES;" "THE LIFEBOAT;" ETC. ETC.
With Illustrations by the Author.
_EIGHTH THOUSAND_.
LONDON:
JAMES NISBET & CO., 21 BERNERS STREET.
1894.
[_All rights reserved_.]
PREFACE.
The extremely violent nature of the volcanic eruption in Krakatoa in1883, the peculiar beauty of those parts of the eastern seas where theevent occurred, the wide-spread influences of the accompanyingphenomena, and the tremendous devastation which resulted, have allinspired me with a desire to bring the matter, in the garb of a tale,before that portion of the juvenile world which accords me a hearing.
For most of the facts connected with the eruption which have beenimported into my story, I have to acknowledge myself indebted to therecently published important and exhaustive "Report" of the KrakatoaCommittee, appointed by the Royal Society to make a thoroughinvestigation of the whole matter in all its phases.
I have also to acknowledge having obtained much interesting and usefulinformation from the following among other works:--_The MalayArchipelago_, by A.R. Wallace; _A Naturalist's Wanderings in the EasternArchipelago_, by H.O. Forbes; and Darwin's _Journal of Researches_ roundthe world in H.M.S. "Beagle."
R.M. BALLANTYNE.
HARROW-ON-THE HILL, 1889.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
CHAP. I.--THE PLAY COMMENCES, 1
II.--THE HAVEN IN THE CORAL RING, 9
III.--INTERESTING PARTICULARS OF VARIOUS KINDS, 19
IV.--NIGEL UNDERGOES SOME QUITE NEW AND INTERESTING EXPERIENCES, 33
V.--CAPTAIN ROY SURPRISES AND GRATIFIES HIS SON, WHO SURPRISES A NEGRO, AND SUDDENLY FORMS AN ASTONISHING RESOLVE, 47
VI.--THE HERMIT OF RAKATA INTRODUCED, 58
VII.--WONDERS OF THE HERMIT'S CAVE AND ISLAND, 72
VIII.--PERBOEWATAN BECOMES MODERATELY VIOLENT, 89
IX.--DESCRIBES, AMONG OTHER THINGS, A SINGULAR MEETING UNDER PECULIAR CIRCUMSTANCES, 99
X.--A CURIOUS SEA-GOING CRAFT--THE UNKNOWN VOYAGE BEGUN, 111
XI.--CANOEING ON THE SEA--A MYSTERIOUS NIGHT-SURPRISE AND SUDDEN FLIGHT, 123
XII.--WEATHERING A STORM IN THE OPEN SEA, 140
XIII.--FRIENDS ARE MET WITH, ALSO PIRATES, AND A LIFE-OR-DEATH PADDLE ENSUES, 153
XIV.--A NEW FRIEND FOUND--NEW DANGERS ENCOUNTERED AND NEW HOPES DELAYED, 173
XV.--HUNTING THE GREAT MAN-MONKEY, 189
XVI.--BEGINS WITH A TERRIBLE FIGHT AND ENDS WITH A HASTY FLIGHT, 204
XVII.--TELLS OF THE JOYS, ETC., OF THE PROFESSOR IN THE SUMATRAN FORESTS, ALSO OF A CATASTROPHE AVERTED, 217
XVIII.--A TRYING ORDEAL--DANGER THREATENS AND FLIGHT AGAIN RESOLVED ON, 230
XIX.--A TERRIBLE MURDER AND A STRANGE REVELATION, 243
XX.--NIGEL MAKES A CONFIDANT OF MOSES--UNDERTAKES A LONELY WATCH AND SEES SOMETHING WONDERFUL, 259
XXI.--IN WHICH THE PROFESSOR DISTINGUISHES HIMSELF, 276
XXII.--A PYTHON DISCOVERED AND A GEYSER INTERVIEWED, 297
XXIII.--TELLS OF VOLCANIC FIRES AND A STRANGE RETURN "HOME," 307
XXIV.--AN AWFUL NIGHT AND TERRIBLE MORNING, 324
XXV.--ADVENTURES OF THE "SUNSHINE" AND AN UNEXPECTED REUNION, 343
XXVI.--A CLIMAX, 361
XXVII.--"BLOWN TO BITS," 371
XXVIII.--THE FATE OF THE "SUNSHINE," 377
XXIX.--TELLS CHIEFLY OF THE WONDERFUL EFFECTS OF THIS ERUPTION ON THE WORLD AT LARGE, 385
XXX.--COMING EVENTS, ETC.--WONDERFUL CHANGES AMONG THE ISLANDS, 401
XXXI.--ENDS WITH A STRUGGLE BETWEEN INCLINATION AND DUTY, 414
XXXII.--THE LAST, 425
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
VIGNETTE TITLE.
"HE CAME UNEXPECTEDLY ON A CAVERN."--PAGE 112, _Frontispiece_.
ART ON THE KEELING ISLANDS, _facing page_ 36
THEY DISCOVER A PIRATES' BIVOUAC, 164
"DO YOU HEAR?" SAID VERKIMIER, STERNLY, 187
BLOWN TO BITS 342
BLOWN TO BITS
A TALE OF THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO.