and rendered the
country for ever uninhabitable."

Such was the Malayan opinion. I shall not attempt a comment; but must
observe, that all the Malayans consider this tree as an holy instrument
of the great prophet to punish the sins of mankind; and, therefore, to
die of the poison of the Upas is generally considered among them as an
honourable death. For that reason I also observed, that the delinquents,
who were going to the tree, were generally dressed in their best apparel.

This however is certain, though it may appear incredible, that from
fifteen to eighteen miles round this tree, not only no human creature can
exist, but that, in that space of ground, no living animal of any kind
has ever been discovered. I have also been assured by several persons of
veracity, that there are no fish in the waters, nor has any rat, mouse,
or any other vermin, been seen there; and when any birds fly so near this
tree that the effluvia reaches them, they fall a sacrifice to the effects
of the poison. This circumstance has been ascertained by different
delinquents, who, in their return, have seen the birds drop down, and
have picked them up _dead,_ and brought them to the old ecclesiastick.

I will here mention an instance, which proves them a fact beyond all
doubt, and which happened during my stay at Java.

In the year 1775 a rebellion broke out among the subjects of the Massay,
a sovereign prince, whose dignity is nearly equal to that of the Emperor.
They refused to pay a duty imposed upon them by their sovereign, whom
they openly opposed. The Massay sent a body of a thousand troops to
disperse the rebels, and to drive them, with their families, out of
his dominions. Thus four hundred families, consisting of above sixteen
hundred souls, were obliged to leave their native country. Neither the
Emperor nor the Sultan would give them protection, not only because they
were rebels, but also through fear of displeasing their neighbour, the
Massay. In this distressful situation, they had no other resource than to
repair to the uncultivated parts round the Upas, and requested permission
of the Emperor to settle there. Their request was granted, on condition
of their fixing their abode not more than twelve or fourteen miles from
the tree, in order not to deprive the inhabitants already settled there
at a greater distance of their cultivated lands. With this they were
obliged to comply; but the consequence was, that in less than two mont