in the Island of Java. 103 



is a valley only three miles from Balor, that no person could 

 approach without forfeiting their lives, and that the skeletons of 

 human beings, and all sorts of beasts and birds covered the 

 bottom of the valley. 1 mentioned this to the Commandant 

 Mr Van Spreewenberg, and proposed our going to see it ; Mr 

 Daendels, the assistant-resident, agreed to go with us. At this 

 time I did not credit all that the Javanese Chief told me. I 

 knew that there was a lake close to this, that it was dangerous 

 to approach too near, but I had never heard of the Valley of 

 Death. 



" Bahr, Mh Jidy. — Early this morning we made an excur- 

 sion to the extraordinary valley, called by the natives Guwo 

 Upas^ or Poisoned Valley : it is three miles from Balor, on the 

 road to the Djiang. Mr Daendels had ordered a footpath to 

 be made from the main road to the valley. We took with us two 

 dogs and some fowls, to try experiments in this poisonous hollow. 

 On arriving at the foot of the mountain, we dismounted and 

 scrambled up the side, about a quarter of a mile, holding on by 

 the branches of trees, and we were a good deal fatigued before 

 we got up the path, being very steep and slippery, from the fall 

 of rain during the night. When within a few yards of the valley 

 we experienced a strong nauseous suffocating smell, but, on 

 coming close to the edge, this disagreeable smell left us. We 

 were now all lost in astonishment at the awful scene before us. 

 The valley appeared to be about half a mile in circumference, 

 oval, and the depth from 30 to 35 feet, the bottom quite flat, — 

 no vegetation, — some very large, in appearance, river-stones, 

 and the whole covered with the skeletons of human beings, 

 tygers, pigs, deer, peacocks, and all sorts of birds. We could 

 not perceive any vapour or any opening in the ground, which 

 last appeared to be of a hard sandy substance. The sides of 

 the valley from the top to the bottom are covered with trees, 

 shrubs, &c. It was now proposed by one of the party to enter 

 the valley ; but at the spot where we were, this was difficult, at 

 least for me, as one false step would have brought us to eter- 

 nity, as no assistance could be given. We lighted our cigars, 

 and, with the assistance of a bamboo, we went down within 18 

 feet of the bottom. Here we did not experience any difficulty in 



