Krakatau: The Tale Of Lampung Submerged - Syair Lampung Karam. In 1883, massive volcanic eruptions destroyed two-thirds of the island Krakatau. It was the day the world exploded. Since that time Krakatau has been the subject of many reports and publications, both scholarly and literary but the only surviving account of the event written by an indigenous eyewitness has only now found its way into English translation. Written in the form of a syair, a classical Malay rhymed poem, this account sheds light on local responses to the disaster in the region.