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Show [ 188 ) puni!h the fins of mankind; and, therefore, to die of the poifon of the U pas is generally confidered among them as an honourable death. For that reafon I alfo obfcrved, that the delinquents, who were going to the tree, were generally drefred in their befl: apparel. This however is certain, though it may appear incredible, that from fifteen to eighteen miles round this tree, not only no human creature can exifl, but that, in that fpace of ground, no living animal of any kind has ever been difcovered. I have alfo been affured by feveral perfons of ver:~city, that there are no fi(h in the waters, nor has any rat, moufe, or any other vermin, been feen there; and when any birds fly fo ncar this tree that the effluvia reaches them, they fall a facrifice to the effeCl:s of the poifon. This circumfl:ance has been afcertained by different delinquents, who, in their return, have feen the birds drop down, and have picked them up dead, and brought them to the old ecclefiafl:ic. I will here mention an infl:ance, which proves the fact beyond all doubt, and which happened during my fl:ay at Java. In 1775 a rebellion broke out among the fubjects of the Maffay, a fovereign prince, whofe dignity is nearly equal to that of the Emperor. They refufcd to pay a duty impofed upon them by their foverei gn, whom d1ey openly oppofed. The Maffay fcnt a body of a thoufand troops to difperfc the rebel s, and to drive them, with their families, out of his dominions. Thus four hundred families, confifling uf above fix teen hundred foul s, were obliged to leave their native country. Neither the Emperor nor the Sultan would give them protet1ion, not only becaufe they were rebc:Is, but alfo through fear of difpleafingtheir Neighbour, the Maffay. In this difl:refsful fituation. they had no other refource than to repair to the uncultivated parts round the Upas, and requcfl:ed penni ilion of the emperor to fettle there. Their requeft was granted, on condition of their fixing their abode not more than twelve or fou: teen miles from the tree, in order not to deprive · rhe inhabitants already fettled there at a greater difl:ance of their cultivated lands. With this they were obliged to comply; but the confequence was, that in lefs than two months their number was reduced to about three hunclred. The chiefs of thofe who remained returned to the Maffay, informed him of their lofl'es, and ·intreated his pardon, which induced him to receive them again as fubjects, thinking them fufficiently punif11ed for their mifconduct. I have feen and converfed with feveral of thofc who furvived foon after their return. They all had the appearat~ce of perfons tainted with an infeCl.ious diforder; they looked pale and weak, and from the account which they gave of the lofs of their comrades, and of the fymptoms and circumfbnces which attended their diflolution, fuch as convulfions, and other figns of a violent death, I was fully convinced that they fell vic1:ims to the poifon. This violent effect of the poifon at fo great a difl:ance from the tree, certainly appears furprifing, and almofl: incredible: and efpecially, when we confider that it is poffible for delinquents who approach the tree to return alive. My wonder, however, in a great meafure, ceafed, after I had made the following obfervations: I have faid before, that malefactors are infl:ructed to go to the tree with the wind, and to return againfl: the wind. When the wind continues to blow from the fame quarter while the delinquent travels thirty, or fix. and thirty miles, if he be of a good confl:itution, he certainly furvives. But wh:~t proves the mofl: de!1ructivc is, that there is no dependence on the _wind in that part of the world for any length of time.-There are no regular lancl-wwds; and the fea-wind is not perceived there at all, the fituation of the tree being at too great a difl:ance, and furrounded by high mountains and uncultivated forefl:s. Befidcs,. the wind there never b~ows a fre!h regular gale, but is commonly mere!~~ ~urrent of li_ght, foft_ breezes, which pafs through the different openings of the adJ0111111g mountams. It IS alfo frequently difficult to determine from what part of the_ globe the wind really . con:es, as it is divided by various obfl:ruClions in its paft1ge, which eafily change the directiOn of the wind, and often totally defl:roy its effects. I, therefore, impute the difl:ant effects of the poifon, in a great meafure, to the confiant gentle winds in thofe parts, which have not power enough to difperfe the poifonous particles. If high winds were more frequent and durable there, they would certainly weaken very much, and even dellroy the obnoxious effluvia of the poifon ; but without them, the air remains infected and pregnant with thefe poifonous vapours. I am the more convinced of this, as the worthy ecc1efiaflic alfured me, that a dead calm is always attended with the greateft danger, as there is a continual perfpiration iffuing from the tree, which is feen to rife anti fpread in the air, like the putrid fl:eam of a marfhy cavern. Experiments made with tht Gum of the UPAS-TREE. IN the year I 7 76, in the month of February, I was prefent at the execution of thirteen of the Emperor's concubines, at Soura-Charta, who were convicted of infidelity to the Emperor's bed. It was in the forenoon, about eleven o'clock, when the fair criminals were led into an open fpace within the walls of the Emperor's palace. There the judge pafl'ed fentcnce upon them, by which they are doomed to fuffer death by a lancet poifoned with Upas. After this the Alcoran was prefented to them, anll they were, according to the law of their great prophet Mahomet, to acknowledge and to affirm by oath, that the charges brought again!l them, together with the fentence and their punifhment, were fair and equitable. This they did, by laying their right hand upon the Alcoran, their left hands upon their brc.afl:, and their eyes lifted towards heaven; the judge then held the Alc01·an to their lip~, and they kifled it. Thefe ceremonies over, the executioner proceeded on his bufinefs in the following manner:-Thirteen polls, each about five feet high, had been previoufly ereCled. To thefe the delinquents were fafl:ened, and their breaHs fl:ripped naked. In this fituation they remained a fhort time in continual prayers, attended by feveral pridls, until a fignal \\as given by the judge to the executioner; on which the latter prod.tced an inflrurnent, much like the fpring lancet ufed by fa rriers for bleeding horfe~. With thts infirument, it being poifoned with the gum of the Upas, the unhappy wretches were lanced in the middle of their breafl:s, and the operation was performed upon them all in lefs than two minutes. My alh1ni!hment was raifed to the highefl: degree, when I beheld the fudden effc~s of that poifon, for in about five minutes after they were lanced they were taken \~!th a tremor attended with a Jubfu!t~s tendinum, after which they died in the greatefl: agomes, |