** about fifteen or fixteen miles diftant. The letter proved o f
“ great fervice to me in my undertaking, as that prieft is ap-
“ pointed by the emperor to reiide there, to prepare for eternity
“ the fouls o f thofe who for different crimes are fentenced to
“ approach the tree, and to procure the poifon. From his houfe
“ the criminals are fent for the poifon, into which the points of
“ all warlike inftruments are dipped. It is of high value, and
“ produces a confiderable revenue to the emperor.
“ T h e poifon which is procured from this tree, is a gum that
“ iflues out between the bark and the tree itfelf, like the cam-
“ phor. Malefactors, who for their crimes are fentenced to die,
“ are the only perfons who fetch the poifon; and this is the
“ only chance they have o f faving their lives. After fentence
“ is pronounced upon them by the judge, they are afked in
“ court, whether they will die by the hands o f the executioner,
il or whether they will go to the Upas tree for a box o f poifon.
“ They commonly prefer the latter propofal, as there is not only
“ feme chance o f preferving their lives, but alfo a certainty, in
“ cafe o f their fafe return, that a provifion will be made for
“ them in future by the emperor. They are alfo permitted to
“ aik a favor from the emperor, which is generally o f a trifling
“ nature, and commonly granted. They are then provided
“ with a lilver or tortoifefhell box, in which they are to put
“ the poifonous gum, and are properly inftrufted how to pro-
“ ceed while they are upon their dangerous expedition. Among
“ other particulars, they are always told to attend to the direc-
u tion o f the winds ; as they are to go towards the tree before
u the wind, fo that the effluvia from the tree are always blown
“ from
M from them. They are told likewife to travel with the utmoft
“ difpatch, as that is the only method o f infuring a fafe return.
“ They are afterwards fent to the houfe , o f the old prieft, to
“ which place they are commonly attended by their friends and
“ relations. Here they generally remain feme days, in expec-
“ tation of a favorable breeze. During that time, the eccle-
“ fiaftic prepares them for their future fate by prayers and ad-
“ monition®.
“ W h e n the hour o f their departure arrives, the'prieft puts
u them on a long leather cap, with two glafles before their
« eyes, which comes down as far as their breaft; and alfo pro-
‘® vides them with a pair o f leather gloves. They are then
« conduced by the prieft, and their friends and relations, about
« two miles on their journey. Here the prieft repeats his in- -
« ftrudtions, and tells them where they are to-look for the tree.
* He fhews them a hill, which they are told to afcend, and that
“ on the other fide they will find a rivulet, which they are to-
“ follow, and which, will conduit them direitly to the Upas.
“ They now take leave o f each other; and, amidft prayers for
“ their fuccefs, the delinquents haften away.
* T h e worthy old ecclefiaftic has aflured me that during his
“ refidence there for upwards o f thirty years, he had difmifled
“ above feven hundred criminals in the manner which I have
« defcribed; and that fearcely two out o f twenty have returned.
« He ihewed me a catalogue of all the unhappy fufferers, with
“ the date o f their departure from his houfe annexed,; and a lift
“ o f the offences for which they had been condemned ; to w hich
“ was added, a lift of thofe who had returned in fafety, I after-
“ wards