The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-10-18

I
nal Of bOtaniSt, lately deceased, whom
Napoleon sent TO Java, in 1910, to make
collections Of plants for the imperial gar
den at st. Cloud, we find the substance Of
p the following facts: The bohon upas is
situated In valley, watered by rivulet,
aud encOnpasSed bv hills at distance OF
fourteen leagues from Batavia. The bills
aud mountains in its vicinage are entirely
barren and denuded, as no verdure can
vegetate where the breeze watts the pesti-
lential vapOrS that arise from the peStit-
erouS gum of the upas The French bot.
aniSt, anxious, on his return 10 France, to
be able to lay before the Emperor cor
rect description Of the upas tlee, made, at
the risk Of his life, tour all around this
dangerous spot, at about four leagues DIS
lance from its deleteriOus influence; and,
in every direction of his circuit, he found
vegetation entirely annihilated, aud the
aspect of the country the most dreary aud
dismal that could be imagined. Near the
easiest ascent of one of the hills, about
sixteen miles from the station Of the tree,
there resided then an old Malayan priest,
whose office it was to prepare for eternity
the souls Of those who, for different
,-crimcSS * go - -->- Up ,s~issS
which yields the government conSidera-
ble revenue. The poison is a gum like
camphor, which issues from the bark
Maletactors under sentence of death are
the only persons who are compelled to
gather this deadly and 6ancful gum. The
ministers Of the native sovereign provide
them with a tortoiSe-Shell box, in which
they are TO put this peStiferOus gum.
These devoted criminals proceed to the
high-priest, where they remain until the
wind blows in favorable direction, so
as TO bear the etfluvia from them. As
soon as the desired breeze arises, the
priest prepares them for the approaching
fate. At the moment Of departure, the
priest puts ON them a leathern cap, with
two glasses before their eyes. which comes
down to their breast. Thus equipped,
they set out on a journey to that fatal
5 "bourn" from which few travellers return
e The old ecclesiastic assured our traveller
e that during n residence of thirty years on
. this great thoroughfare of death, he had
i witnessed the departure to the upas o.
i more than eight hundred unhappy beings
: out Of whom no more than thirty return
f; ed. Those who escaped the dreadful in
n Auence of the upas described it as a mid
6 dling-sized tree, decorated with branche.
i Of the most vivid verdure. It brOods sui
tteniy over a rivulet, as landmark o
" vegetation in the barren vale of the vii
e derncss, over which it waves its poisoned
i. foliage.
/. While our traveller remained in tn,
island Of Java, he witnessed the folowin;
# horrid instance OF the destructive powe
" of the upas poison. In February, 1910
r he was present at the execution Of twev
l. of the Javancsc kings mistreSses, VIII
{ were convicted Of being fatheSs to him
IS The fair and interesting criminals were
If led into the great court Of the palace q
S0urd Chartd, where judge passed tin
v sentence of death upon them After go
y ing. through many religious ceremonies
y the exccutioner stripped their breasts. AM
a then claiming each of the helpless dcin
quentS to a post, he proceeded to maxi
S an incision on the bosom with lance
poisoned with the upaS. the operation
q was performed Oh them all in the space o
: two minutes and, with such celebrity dit
n the poison destroy the vital principle
: that these unfortunate women, the vic
e tins OF a savage. were all dead in less thai
y quarter Of an hour.
i, Some hours after their death, say
= our traveller, their bottles were full o
: livid spots, their faces swclled the colo
: changed to a kind Of blue, and their eve
II were completely spotted with yellow
c hues."
o We believe that medical men estimate
the upas as the most deadly OF all vegeta
It Die po>onS. In time of war it is the prac
r tice of the Malayans to throw the gum "
It the upas into the springs aud rlvulets ii
If order to poison them. The other part
l. Of the island Of Java are remarkabl,
d healthy; prolific aud rich in soil tha
II produces an abundance of the finest fruit
ii such as the I0roa, palm, Shaddock, or
anges, lemons, citronS, talnarind>, man
1t goes, pincapples, bananas, sweepSopS
II grapes, custard apples, melons. pomegran
As atcs, figs, aud the delicious nangoStcen
t. esteemed as the best fruit Of the East.
Or CRAZE Growers MAxIMs.-A writer il
the Ne@ Jersey Herald gives the follow
c. ing:
Of l. Prepare ground in the fall, plant i
I'd the spring.
ar >. Give the vine plenty Of manure, oil
in and well dec0mpoSed; for fresh manur
I'd cXciteS growth, but does not mature it.
Sc 8. LuXuriant growth does not Away
I'd insure fruit.
C. 4. Dig deep but plant shallow.
as 5. Young vines produce beautiful frui
f. but old vines produce the richest
n al, -
ed growth, but in the spring to insure fru
fitness.
of 7. Plant your vines before you put u
he treliiseS
8. Vines, like soldiers, should have goo
IS, arms.
1g Q. Prune spurs ITO one well developed
he bud, for the nearer the old wood the hgl
&C er favored the fruit.
~ 10. Those who prune long must 500
s; climb
es II. Vine leaves run the sun; the fru
ee the shade.
ee }''-12 Every ieaf has bud IL its 0aSC
lg and either bunch of fruit or tendr
opposite it.
RS Is. \ tendril is an abortive fruit bunch
ed IA bunch of fruit, productive tendrll.
I'd II. a bunch of grapes without hca
5: thy leaf opposite, is like n ship at Sc
n without rudder-it can't come to port
OF 10. Datcrals arc like some politicians
ne il not often checked, they are the worst {
thieves.
u 16, Good grapes are like true friends
ID no one has enough.
tr II. The earliest grape will keep tn
y, longest; for that which is fully mature
he is easily preserved.
is Is. Grape eaters are long livers.
i" 10. He that buys the new and untrie
varieties, should remember the seller
maxim is "Caveat emptor'--lett the buye