5. The letter proved of great fervice to me Emperor? in my undertaking, as that prieft is appointed by the Emperor to refide there, in order to prepare for eternity the fouls of those who, for . different crimes, are fentenced to approach the tree, and to procure the poifon. 6. The Bahan Upas is fituated in the ifland of league? Java, about twenty feven leagues from Batavi 1, fourteen from Soura-Charta, the feat of the Emperor, and between eighteen and twenty circle. leagues from Tink joe, the prefent réfidence of the Sultan of Java. It is furrounded on all fides by a circle of high hills and mountains; barren. and the country round it, to the distance of ten or twelve miles from the tree, is entirely barren, Not a tree nor a shrub, nor even the leaft plant or grafs is to be feen. 7. I have made the tour all round this dan- tour ? gerous fpot, at about eighteen miles diftant from the centre and I found the afpect of the country on all fides equally dreary. The eafi- centre. eft afcent of the hills is from the part where the old ecclefiaftic dwells. From his houfe the Aspect criminals are fent for the poifon, into which dreary. the points of all warlike inttruments are dip ped. Itis of high value, and produces a confid- afcent. erable revenue to the Emperɔr. Account of the manner in which the poifon is pro cured. 18. The poifon which is procured from this tree, is a gum that iffues out between the bark malefactors? and the tree itfelf, like the camphor. Malefac tors who, for their crimes, are sentenced to die, are the only perfons who fetch the poison; fetch. 9. After fentence is pronounced upon them by the judge, they are afked in court, whether executioner they will die by the hands of the executioner, N or Preferving? or whether they will go to the Upas tree for a box of poifon? They commonly prefer the latter propofal,as there is not only fome chance of preferving their lives, but alfo a certainty, in cafe of their fafe return that a provifion will be made for them in future by the Emperor. permitted. trifling. tortaife. efluvia? difpatch? breeze. 10. They are alfo permitted to ask a favour from the Emperor, which is generally of a trifling nature and commonly granted. They are then provided with a filver or toi toife-fhell box, in which they are to put the poisonous gum, and are properly instructed how to proceed while they are upon their dangerous expedition. 11. Among other particulars, they are always told to attend to the direction of the winds; as they are to go towards the tree before the wind, fo that the effluvia.from the tree are always blown from them. They are told, likewife, to travel with the utmost dispatch, as that is the only method of infuring a fafe return. 12. they are afterwards fent to the house of the old priest, to which place they are commonly attended by their friends and relations. Here they generally remain fome days, in execclefiaftic?pectation of a favourable breeze. During that time the ecclefiaftic prepares them for their future fate by prayers and admonitions. buur. pair. journey. rivulet? 13. When the hour of their departure arrives, the priest puts on them a long leathercap, with two glaffes before their eyes, which comes down as far as their breaft; and alfo provides them with a pair of leather gloves. They are then conducted by the priest, and their friends and relations, about two or three miles on their journey. tree. 14. Here the priest repeats his inftructions, and tells them where they are to look for the He fhews them a hill, which they are told to afcend, and that on the other fide they will find a rivulet which they are to follow, and and which will conduct them directly to the Delinquents? Upas. They now take leave of each other; and, amidit prayers for their fuccefs, the delinquents haften away. haften. Dismissed 15. The worthy old ecclefiaftic has affured me that during his refidence there for upwards of thirty years, he had difiniffed above feven hundred criminals in the manner which I have deferibed; and that scarcely two out of twenty have returned. He fhewed me a cata- catalogue ? logue of all the unhappy fufferers, with the date of their departure from his houfe annexed; 16. I was prefent at fome of thefe melancholy ceremonies, and defired different delinquents pieces. to bring with them fore pieces of the wood, or a small branch, or fome leaves, of this wonderful tree. I have alfo given them frk cords, thickness. defiring them to measure its thickness. 17. I never could procure more than two dry leaves that were picked up by one of them on his return; and all I could learn from him, concerning the tree itself, was, that it stood on fize. the border of a rivulet, as described by the old prieft; that it was of a middling tize; that five or fix young trees of the fame kind foodclofe by it; but that no other fhrub or plant could impracticable? be feen near it; and that the ground was of a brownith fand full of stones, almost impracticable for travelling, & covered with dead bodies. 18. This, however, is certain, though it may appear incredible, that from fifteen to eight incredible? teen miles round this tree, not only no human creature can exift, but that, in that space of ground, no living animal of any kind has ever been difcovered. I have also been affured by veracity? feveral perfons of veracity, that there are no fith in the waters; and when any birds fly fo near this tree, that the effluvia reaches them, they Aftertained? brought. doubt. Sovereign? impofed? difperfe? refourfe? Repair fettled. months. chiefs. they fall a facrifice to the effects of the poifon.. 19. This circumftance 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 ecclefiaftic. I will here mention an inftance, which proves the fact beyond all doubt, and which happened during my stay at Java. 20. In the year 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 refufed to pay a duty impofed upon them by their fovereign, whom they openly oppofed. The Maffay fent a body. of a thoufand troops to difperfe those rebels, and to drive them with their families, out of his dominions. 21. Thus four hundred families, confiftingof about fixteen hundred fouls, were obliged to leave their native country. Neither the: Emperornor the Sultan would give them pro-. rection, not only becaufe they were rebels, but alfo through fear of difpleafing their neighbor, the Maffay. In this diftrefsful fituation, they had no other refourfe than to repair to the uncultivated parts round the Upas, and requested permiffion of the Emperor to fettle there.. 22.Their request was granted, on condition. of their fixing their abode not more than twelve. or fourteen miles from the tree, in order not to deprive the inhabitants already fettled there, at a greater diftance, of their cultivated lands.. With this they were obliged to comply; but. the confequence was, that in less than two months their number was reduced to about three hundred. 23. The chiefs of thofe who remained returned to the malay, informed him of their loles, and entreated his pardon, which induced him to receive them again as fabjects,thinking them fufficiently punished for their mif CON conduct. I have feen and converfed with Survived? feveral of thofe who furvived, foon after their return. 24. They all had the appearance of perfons tainted with an infectious diforder; they looked pale and weak,and from the account which they gave of the lofs of their comrades, and of the fymptoms and circumstances which attended their diffolution, fuch as convulfions, and other figns of a violent death, I was fully convinced that they fell victims to the poifon. 25. This violent effect of the poison at fo great a distance from the tree certainly appears furprifing, and almoft 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 measure, ceased, after 1 had made the following obfervations. infectious? comrades? Symptoms? victims ? furprising, Delinquents malefactors 26. I have faid before, that malefactors are inftructed to go to the tree with the wind, and to return against the wind. When the wind continues to blow from the fame quar- quarter. ter while the delinquent travels thirty, or fix and thirty miles, if he be of a good conftitution, he certainly furvives. But what proves the most deftructive is, that there is no dependence on the wind in that part of the world for any length of time. 27. There are no regular land winds; and is commonly merely a current of light, foft breezes. 28. It is alfo frequently difficult to determine from what part of the globe the wind really comes, as it is divided by various obAtructions N |