The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1863-01-17
rHE RoHoN UPAs-TRRE.


] Il Is rather singular phenomenon in the
ECONOMY of nature, that the island of Java
should produce, at the same time, the man
gosteen, the most mellow and luscious OF
Fruits, and the deadly upas, the most malig-
Inant of poisons. In the journal of bota-
mist, lately deceased, whom Napoleon sent
to Javain 1910, to make collections of plants
for the imperial garden at st. Cloud, we find
the substance of the following facts; The
bohon' upas is situated in valley, watered
by rivulet, and sencompassed by hills at a
distance of fourteen leagues from Batavia.
The hills and mountains in its vicinage are
lentirely barren and denuded, as no verdure
can Yegetate where the breeze watts the pes
Itilential Yapors that arise from the pestiter
iess gum of the upas. The French botan-
/ list. anxious, on his return to France, to be
able to lay before the Emperor correct de-
scription of the upas- tree, made, at the risk
Of his life, tour all around this dangerous
spot, at about four leagues distance from its
deleterious influence; and, in every direc-
ton of his circuit, he found vegetation en-
| tirely annihilated, and the aspect of the
country the most dreary and dismal that
could be imagined. Near the easiest ascent
of one of the hills, about sixteen miles from
the situation of the tree, there resided then
an old Malayan priest, whose Office 1t was
| to prepare for eternity the souls of those
who, for different crimes, were sent to pro-
cure the poison which yields the Govern
ment a considerable revenue. The poison
is gum-Iike camphor, which issues from
the bark. Malefactors under sentence of
death are the only persons who are compel
| lod fO fI1a.. - nd hap ful
! The ministers of the native sovereign pro-
vide them with tortoise shell box, in which
they are to put this pestiferous gum. These
devoted criminals proceed to the high priest,
where they remain till the wind blows Ill a
favorable direction, SO as to bear the efdu-
via 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 leath-
ern cap, with two glasses before their eyes,
which comes down to their breast. Thus
equipped, they set out on a journey to that
fatal bourne" from which few travellers re-
turn. The old ecclesiastic assured our
traveller that during residence of thirty
years on this great thoroughfare of death,
he had witnessed the departure to the upas
of more than eight hundred unhappy be-
ings, out of whom no more than thirty re-
turned. Those who escaped the dreadful
influence of the upas described it as a mid
dling-s sized tree, decorated with branches OF
the most vivid verdure. 1t broods sullenly
over rivulet, as a landmark of vegetation
in the barren vale of the wilderness, over
which it waves its poisoned foliage.
While our traveller remained in the island
of Java, he witnessed the following horrid
instance of the destructive power of the
upas poison. In February, 1910, he was
present at the execution of twelve of the
Javanese kings mistres ses, who were con-
victed of being faithless to him.
The fair and interesting criminals were
led into the great court of the palace OF
So~ra Charta, where judge passed the
sentence of death upon them. Alter going
through many religious ceremonies, the ex-
ecutioner stripped their breasts, and then
claiming each of the helpless delnquents to
post, he proceeded to make an incision on
the bosom with lancet poisoned with the
upas. The operation was performed on them
all in the space of two minutes; and with
such celebrity did the poison destroy the
vital principle, that these unfortunate WON
en-, the victims of a savage, were all dead
IL 1883 ILou VI AL
"Some hours after their DEATH says our
traveller, ''their bodies were full of liyid
spots, their faces swelled, the color changed
to kind of blue, and their eyes were com
pletely spotted with yellow hues''
| We believe that medical men estimate the
upas as the most deadly of all vegetable
poisons. In time of war it is the practice
of the Malayans to throw the gum of the
upas into the springs and the rivuets in
order to poison them. The other parts of
the island of Java are remarkably healthy;
prolific and rich in soil that produces an
abundance of the finest fruit-such as cocoa,
palm, shaddock, oranges, lemons, citrons.
tamarinds, margoes, pine apples. bananas,
sweepsops, graYes, custard apples, melons.
pomegranates, figs, and the delicious man
gosteen, esteemed as the best fruit of the
East