St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1897-05-01
PARISH, SATURDAY. MAY 1897
THE DEADLY uPAs.
Detailed Yeral0A Of This. Myth with
which Few Arc Familiar.

Detailed YeraloA Of This. Myth with
which Few Are Familiar.
Everybody has heard Of the deadly
upas tree;" yet few. probably, even Of
those who use the phrase with fine
rhetorical effect have any very definite
conception of its meaning. OF course,
the whole thing is a myth; but the fol-
lowing version, extracted from quaint
old book, may serve to render our ideas
less hazy about it.
1.-The Dohon upas is situated in the
island of Java, between 1s and 20 leagues
from Tinkjoe, which is the residence OF
the king Of the country. 1t is sur
rounded on all sides by circle of high
hills and mountains and the region
around it, to the distance of ten or IL
miles from the tree, is entirely barren.
Not another tree nor shrub, nor even
the least blade of grass is to be seen. l
have made the tour all around this dan
gerous spot and found the aspect OF
the country on all sides equally dreary.
The easiest ascent of the hills is from
that part where dwells an ancient her
init.
"From his house the criminals are
sent for the poison, into which the
points of all warlike instruments are
dipped: it is of high value and brings
a considerable revenue to the king.
The poison which is produced from this
tree is a gum that issues out between
the bark and the tree itself, like cam
phor. Malefactors who for their crimes
are sentenced to die are the only per
sons who fetch the poisons, and this is
the only chance they have of saving
their lives. After sentence is pro-
nounced upon them by the judge they
are asked in court whether they will
die by the hands of the executioner or
whether they will go to the upas tree
for box of the poison.
"They commonly prefer the latter
proposal, as there is not only some
chance of preserving their lives. but
also the certainty in case OF a safe re-
turn that provision will be made fov
them in future by the king. They ars
also permitted to ask o favor from him,
which is generally OF trifling nature
and is commonly granted. They are
then provided with a silver or tortoise
shell box in which they are to put the
poisonous gum and are properly in
structed how they are to proceed while
they are upon their dangerous expedi.
tion.
"They are always told to attend to
the direction of the wind; they are to 60
toward the tree before the wind, SO that
the effiuvia from it may blow from
them. They go first to the house of the
old ecclesiastic, who prepares them by
prayers and admonitions for their fu.
ture fate; he also puts on them long
leathern cap with two glasses before
their eyes. which comes down as far as
the breast. and provides them with a
pair of leather gloves. Thereupon.they
are conducted by the priests and theil
friends and relations about two miles
on their journey.
''The old ecclesiastic assured me that
il upward Of 30 years he had dismissed
above 700 criminals in the manner de
scribcd and that scarcely two out Of q
had returned. All the Malayans con
slider this tree as a holy instrument oi
the great prophet to punish the sins oi
mankind; therefore to die by the poison
of the upas is regarded among them as
On honorable death. This, however, i
certain, that from Is to IS miles around
this tree not only no human creature
can exist. but no animal OF any kind
has ever been discovered. There are ne
fish in the waters, and when any birds
fly 20 near this tree that the effluvia car
reach them they drop down dead. "
Cnscnrvr No~rs