, 1885-01-31
ms JUICE os rnE eAous.


! A MorS Deadly LsShAi Drink Than Any
Known to Civilization.
DO you know what that isP" said
the Captain Of bark lately returned
from q cruise in the Southern seas.
He held in his hand what appeared to
be 3 gaudily-pAinted b6rber's pole
Shranksn to the size of pOliceman'' $
club.
ut came from Gauptl Island, near
the Molucca group. / have navigated
the South Seas for many years, aud /
never saw il growing upon any other
island, and don't think you will find
any sea-faring man who halls from
those waters but will bear out what
say. Gagus stalk Is as near as we
sailors can get to what the natives
there call 1t. I've heard these four
eyed scientific lubbers call it by a
name a yard long. but / might as
well have tried to reef q mainsail
alone as to reel it around my mental
windlass. Gagus is good enough for
me-"
who painted it3"
why, jgger me, that's the way 1t
grew" cried the skipper, with laugh.
Il is a species OF cactus, and grows only
to my knowledge on Gauptll Island.
The island Is a small one. but is well
populated by natives Of the Malay race.
In the interior this plant grows wild,
Aourishing especially in the rocky sol.
1t looks beautiful when growing, as
you may Judge by the bright hues with
which this Is spotted. The. main stalk
is covered with sharp, nettle-l.ke pro-
tuberances, and a prick from one Of
them will cause more pain thhp hand
ful Of red-pepper thrown 10 J0dr eyes.
When young the plant consists OF but
one stalk, which shoots up straight TO
a height Of four or five feet. II Is q
brilliant scarlet in hue. Toward win
ter number OF ofshoots spring out
until the thing looks like a broom
stood upright Green and purple
speoks lhen appear all over It A grove
Of gagus shrubs is n very pretty sight
But It is the properties Of the plant
which distinguish it Opium is = po-
tent drug, but ] will back the extract
from the gagus stalk to effect more
damage on the human system than all
the opium in the world. The natives
cut the plant in the early spring. After
they have gathered q sufficient quantity
they put It in large bowls and crush 1t
with nuge stones. A grayish sap runs
out freely, and this they collect
and drink after letting It ferment,
which it does easily. One drink Of .
pint is enough for an ordinary man,
hut | have seen natives drink more.
Within half an hour after imbihing it
the drinker becomes perfectly stupid
and lies around like log. The spell
lasts 4 day or more, during which time
the natives say they live in paradise.
have known sailors to try it, but they
never tackledittwice. Three years ago l
had a man in my crew who was driven
crazy by one drink. II you could see
some Of the terrible examples Of gagus
drinking in Gauptil you would be hor-
rifed The first effect Of the liquor is
to soften the bones, and gradually eat
them away. There are natives there,
the victims Of gagus, who are indeed
boneless and unable to walk or use
their limbs. They then begin to wither
away Ike this stalk until they die in
misery and commissions. Immediately
after death, the head Of the corpse be-
comes soft as pulp, no boues can be
i,lt, the skull is completely eaten away.
The body then begins 10 swell as though
1t were inflated with gas and immediate
burial is necessary
"How long does it take to thus de
vastate human beingpn
Usually two years will fn'sh the
hardest man. Oh, the suffering Of the
slaves to the drink are terrible. Son
Francisco Call