Blown to Bits; or, The Lonely Man of Rakata

A true adventure tale that follows in the vein of both Ballantyne and Daniel Defoe, this story follows several heroes as they encounter the islands Java, Sumatra and Krakatoa. One of the story's heroes, Van der Kemp, forges a life for himself on the island with his dogs and canoe. Ballantyne describes the islands in detail and gives readers background information on the 1883 volcanic eruption in the region, which also features in the story.