It's the evening of April 10, 1815, on Sumbawa, an island in the Indonesian archipelago.

The local governor, Raja, strolls through the crowded streets of the fishing village Sagar.

This small seaside town sits in the shadow of Mount Tambora, the tallest point on the island. Weaving through wooden carts, cattle, and rice farmers, the Raja surveys Tambora's distant peak.

For hundreds of years, this volcano has been quiet.

But five days ago, rumbling started echoing down its slopes.

At first, locals thought the sounds were from a naval battle, being fought somewhere offshore.

But there was no sign of any warships, and the next day, clouds of ash started rising from the mountain.

The air became heavy and still.

But life on Sogar went on as usual,

and by the third day the rumblings had stopped and the ash had blown away in the wind.

Nearing his home, the Raja decides to forget his concerns about Tambora, but then,

he is almost thrown to the ground as the entire island shakes.

Horrified, the Raja looks to the volcano, and its peak has disappeared.

The sky above the mountain has turned black, and three columns of fire shoot hundreds of feet into the air.

The Raja runs for the safety of his home.

As rocks, the size of fists begin to rain down on the streets, knocking people to the ground.

The Raja drops to his hands and knees, scrambling towards the shelter of a nearby doorway.

But then powerful winds slam into the village.

The hurricane of hot ash and rocks tears roofs off houses and rips trees out by the roots. Pressing himself desperately into the ground, there's nothing the Raja can do to help his people now.

The village of Sagar is being wiped off the map.

The eruption of Mount Tambara is lethal for the local Indonesian population, but it has devastating

consequences for the global climate as well.

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