St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1897-04-17
THE DEADLY uPAS.
Detailed Version of This Myth with
Which Few Are Familiar.

Detailed Version 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 it's meaning. OF course,
the whole thing is myth; but the fol-
lowing version, extracted from quaint
old book, may serve to render our ideas
less hazy about it.
"tFhe Bohon upas is situated in the
island of Java, between Is and 20 leagues
from Tinkjoe, which is the residence Of
the king of the country. 1t is sur
rounded on all sides by a circle of high
hills and mountains and the region
Ground it, to the distance of ten or 10
miles from the tree, is entirely barren.
Not another tree nor o shrub, nor even
the least blade of grass is to be seen.
have made the tour all around this dam
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.
'sFrom 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
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 a provision will be made for
them in future by the king. They are
also permitted to ask q favor from him,
which is generally OF a trifing 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 inr
structed how they are to proceed while
they are upon their dangerous expedi-
ton.
'sThey are always told to attend to
the direction of the wind they are to go
toward the tree before the wind, SO that
the effluyia from it may blow from
them. They GO first to the house of the
old ecclesiastic, who prepares them by
prayers and adrnonitions for their, FIJI.
ture fate; he also puts on them long
leathern cap with two glasses before
their eyes, which comes down as far ais
the breast, and provides them with a
pair of leather gloves. Thereupon they
are conducted by the priests and their
friends and relations about two miles
ON their journey.
t'The old ecelesiastic assured me that
in upward Of 30 years he had dismissed
above 700 criminals in the manner de-
scrbed and that scarcely two out of 20
had returned. All the Malayans con-
slider this tree as a holy instrument of
the great prophet to punish the sins of
mankind; therefore to die by the poison
OF the upas is regarded among them as
an honorable death. This, however, is
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 no
fish in the waters, and when any birds
fly so near this tree that the efHuvia can
reach them they drop down dead" -
Chicago News.