Poetic Literacy

Firsthand Accounts - Blackout Poetry

This post features excerpts from firsthand accounts of locals living on the various islands of Indonesia surrounding Sumbawa during the 1815 eruption, compiled and translated by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the British Lieutenant Governor of Java at the time. The accounts have been made into poems using the Blackout Poetry method as a way of reimagining the terrifying lived experiences.

An extract of a letter from Grissie (presumably Gresik):

I woke in the morning of the 12th, after what seemed to be a very long night, and taking my watch to the lamp found it to be half past eight o’clock, I immediately went out and found a cloud of ashes descending; at 9 o’clock no day light-the layer of ashes on the terrace before my door at the Kradenan measures one line in thickness; ten A. M.-a faint glimmering of light can now be perceived overhead: half past 10- can distinguish objects 50 yards distant: 11 A. M .-Breakfasted by candle-light, the birds begin to chirrup as at the approach of day: half past 11-can discover the situation of the sun through a thick cloud of ashes; 1 P.M. found the layer of ashes one line and a half thick, and measured in several places with the same results; 3 P. M. the ashes have increased one eighth of a line more; 5 P. M it is now lighter, but still I can neither read nor write without Candles. In travelling through the district on the 13th, the appearances were described with very little variation from my account, and I am universally told that no one remembers, nor does their tradition record, so tremendous an Eruption — some look upon it as typical of a change, of the re-establishment of the former Government; others account for it in an easy way by reference to the superstitious notions of their legendary tales, and say that the celebrated Nyai Luroh Kidul* has been marrying one of her children, on which occasion she has been firing salutes from her supernatural Artillery. They call the ashes the dregs of her Ammunition.

*Nyai Luroh Kidul is the name of an Indonesian deity.

From Sumanap (now spelled “Sumenep”):

On the evening of the 10th the explosions became very loud, one in particular shook the Town, and they were excessively quick, resembling a heavy cannonade. Towards evening next day the atmosphere thickened so much, that by  4- o’clock it was necessary to light candles. At about 7 P. M. of the 11th, the tide being about ebb, a rush of water from the Bay occasioned the River to rise four feet. and it subsided again in about 4 minutes; the Bay was much agitated about this time, and was illuminated from a Northerly direction. On the Island of Sahotic, fire was seen distinctly at a short distance to the South-east. The uncommon darkness of this night did not break till 10 and 11 A M. of the 12th, and it could hardly be called day light all day. Volcanic ash fell in abundance, and covered the earth about two inches thick, the trees also were loaded with them.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An account from Baniowangie (now spelled “Banyuwangi”):

At 10 P.M. of the 1st April we heard a noise resembling a cannonade, which lasted at intervals till 9 o’clock next day, it continued at times loud, at others resembling distant thunder-but on the night of the 10th the explosions became truly tremendous. frequently shaking the Earth and Sea violently; towards morning they again slackened, and continued to lessen gradually till the 14th, when they ceased altogether-on the morning of the 3d April, ashes began to fall like fine snow., and in the course of the day they  were half an inch deep on the ground; from that time, till the 11th the air was constantly impregnated with them, to such a degree that it was unpleasant to stir out of doors- on the morning of the 11th the opposite shore of Bali was completely obscured in a dense cloud, which gradually approached the Java shore and was dreary and terrific -by 1 P. M. candles were necessary, by 4 P. M. it was pitch dark, and so it continued until 2 o’clock of the afternoon of the 12th, ashes continuing to fall abundantly: they were 8 inches in depth at this time. After 2 o’clock it began to clear up, but the sun was not visible till the 14th, and during this time it was extremely cold-the ashes continued to fall, but less violently, and the greatest depth, on the 15th of April, was 9 inches.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A firsthand account from the Rajah of Saugur and his neighbors, who lived right at the base of the mountain (communicated to Sir Raffles by Lieutenant Owen Phillips):

About 7 P.M. on the 10th of April, three distinct columns of flame burst forth near the top of Tomboro Mountain, all of them apparently within the verge of the crater, and after ascending separately to a very great height, their tops united in the air in a troubled confused manner. In a short time the whole Mountain next Saugur appeared like a body of liquid fire extending itself in every direction.

The fire and columns of flame continued to rage with unabated fury until the darkness, caused by the quantity of falling matter, obscured it at about 8 P.M. Stones at this time fell very thick at Saugur-some of them as large as two fists, but generally not larger than walnuts; between 9 and 10 P. M. ashes began to fall, and soon after a violent whirlwind ensued, which blew down nearly every house in the village of Saugur, carrying the tops and light parts away with it; In the part of Saugur adjoining Tomboro, its effects were much more violent, tearing up by the roots the largest trees, and carrying them into the air together with men, houses,  cattle, and whatever else came within its influence, (this will account for the immense number of floating trees seen at sea.) The sea rose nearly 12 feet higher than it had ever been known to be before, and completely spoiled the only small spots of rice lands in Saugur-sweeping away houses and everything within its reach.

The whirlwind lasted about an hour, no explosions were heard till the whirlwind had ceased, at about 11 A. M.  From midnight till the evening of the 11th, they continued without intermission, after that time their violence moderated, and they were only heard at intervals, but the explosions did not cease entirely until the 15th of July. The mountain still throws out immense volumes of smoke, and the Natives are apprehensive of another Eruption during the ensuing rainy season.

Reference

Skulls in the Stars. (2013). April 10, 1815: Mount Tambora Blows Up. Skulls in the Stars. Retrieved from: https://skullsinthestars.com/2013/04/10/april-10-1815-mount-tambora-blows-up/

Blackout Poetry Maker

emmawinston. (n.d.) Blackout Poetry Maker. Blackoutpoetry. Retrieved from https://blackoutpoetry.glitch.me/