The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-04-27
THE BOHoN-UPAs TREE.
Cor. Appleton's Journal.


mouth of Bruni River upon which is sit
uated tho capital city of Borneo proper
a party was made up to visit upas tree
which it appears is occasionally found In
other islands than Java
With a boats crew, we'll armed, we
left the ship at daybreak, in order to
accomplish the distance (21 miles before
1.-THE sun came out in full strength.
Reaching the mouth of the river after a
| pull IF an hour and half We landed to
eat our breakfast, and. alter resting the
crew, put off AGAIN, arriving at our place
of destination about 10 a. m We were
all looking out eagerly for the wonderful
stories that SO fascinated our boyhood;but
here were no barren wastes, or arid, skel-
eton covered plains.
Following our native guide boat, we
sheered in alongside of a grassy bank,
the summit of which was laid out in small
plots like children's gardens at home,
each plot surrounded by border of
shell s,with carefully kept walks between
them. Nothing but grass and flowers
were growing there, but these were lux.
uriant; for this was graveyard, and we
were even then standing under the shadow
of the terrible poison tree, near which
these people bury their dead, which may
partially account for the wonderful sto
ries told by early travellers. The tree
itself measured eleven feet in circumfer-
ence five feet above the ground, and, in.
stead of scattering death and destruction,
was girded round with creeping vines
and any,colored parasites that wound
their way to the topmost branches,
which were higher than any of the sur
rounding trees, and equaled, if not sur.
passed, those of our loftiest forest trees
at home.
An incision was made, after the man.
ner of tapping maple trees, and the sap,
which is reported to be deadly poison,
commenced flowing drop by drop. It
vas ola yellowish white color, thick and
glutinous, resembling, in its general APP
peagsnee, good rich cream There was
no unpleasant odor perceptlble from it,
nor did any Of US. experience any disa.
greeable sensation, though standing near
by when the sap was beipg discharged.
This was SO slow an operation that it.
required nearly an hour to fill o two
ounce vial Meantime it was desirable
to procure some of the leaves and branch
es, but these were beyond our reach, as
the lowest branch was at least one hun
dred feet from the ground, and, although
the men could have easily climbed up
by the vines, the surgeon in charge of the
party refused to let them attempt, fearing
that their hands and feet might become
poisoned a .-
At last, having loaded all our carbines
with ball, particular limb was selected,
and we fired together, by this means Sc
curing several fine specimens.
s Having obtained matter enough of all
kinds to satisfy the demands of science,
we returned to the ship, arriving on
board at 2 o'clock in the morning, highly
gratified by the result of our visit to this
great natural curiosity, which had been
one OF the wonders and mysteries of our
boyhood. ae ae
A New GA BLOWING CorToN -
6 Blowing Cotton" is a sitting room
game of the jolliest SORT. Let as many as
may be sit around table, with hands
folded ard arms extended along the edge
Of the table, each person touching elbows
with his neighbor on each side of him. !
u
ting, picked up SO as to be made as light |
and airy as possible. Put this in the cen
ter Of the table. Let some one count |
Zone, two, three" and then let each one
blow his best to keep it away from him
self and drive it upon some one else. The |
person on whom it alights must |
pay q forfeit. No one must
take up his arms to escape
the cotton When it alights take it up
and start anew. It will be very sober
set indeed who can play two. or three
rounds without indulging in the health !
lest sort OF uproarious laughter. At the !
close the forfeits can beredeemed in any
sensible way. But don't tolerate the sill
~ kissings, etc, that so often make up
the penalties. We have found it just as
much fun to exact no forfeits. A good !
laugh at the expense of the I'M
lucky one and "try again" will keep up
the interest
A firm in Boston sell little box con
tanning some cotton, with printed words
and pencils for writing Anagrams, bu. |
every household has all the necessary ma
terial for both games without spending
money unnecessarily. see1
The preciousness of little things was
never more beautifully expressed than byl
B. F. Taylor in the following "sLittle I
words are the sweetest to hear; little
charities fly farthest, and stay longest on |
the wing little lakes are the stiIlest =
little hearts are the fullest, and little |.
farms. are the best titled. Little books
are the best read, and little songs the
bestowed. And when Nature would
make anything especially rare and beau
tifpl, she makes it Iittle-little pearls,
little diamonds. little dews. Everybody /
nils that little which he loves hest on I