584 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1816. 



what curved. Toward their ex- 

 tremity the shoots produce ciri'hi 

 or tendrils, Avhich appear witliout 

 any regular distribution opposite 

 to the leaflets ; and some branches 

 are entirely without them : they 

 are about an inch long, slender, 

 compiessed and spiially turned 

 back (recurvati) ; at their end near 

 the base a small sti|)ula is found. 



The Tshettik grows only in 

 close, shady, almost inaccessible 

 forests, in a deep, black, fertile, 

 vegetable mould. It is very rarely 

 met with, even in the wildernesses 

 of Blambangan. 



Preparation 1st of the Antshar. 

 — This piocess was performed for 

 me by an old .Javanese, who was 

 celebrated for his superior skill in 

 prepjiring the poison. About 

 eight ounces of the juice of the 

 Antshar, which had been collected 

 the preceding evening in the usual 

 manner, and preserved in tlie 

 joint of a bamboo, was carefully 

 stiained into a bowl. The sap of 

 the following substances, which 

 had been finely grated and bruised, 

 was carefully expressed and poured 

 into it, viz. Arum, Nampoo (Ja- 

 vanese) Kjempferia Galanga, 

 Kontshur, Amonumi, Bengley, (a 

 variety of Zerambed) common 

 onion and garlic, of each about 

 half a dram ; the same quantity 

 of finely powdered black pepper 

 was then added, and the mixt\ue 

 stirred. 



The prepaier now took an en- 

 tii'e fruit ibf the Capsicum frutico- 

 sum or Guinea ])epper, and having 

 opened it, he carefully separated 

 a single seed, and placed it on 

 the fluid in the middle of the 

 bowl. 



Tlie seed immediately began to 

 reel lound I'apidly, now foiming 

 a regular circle, tlien darting to- 



wards the margin of the cup, with 

 a perceptible commotion on the 

 surface of the liquor, which con- 

 tinued about one minute. Being 

 completely at rest, the same quan- 

 tity of pepper was again added, 

 and another seed of the capsicum 

 laid on as before : a similar com- 

 motion took place in the fluid, 

 but in a less degree, and the seed 

 was carried round with diminished 

 rapidity. The addition of the 

 same quantity of pepper was re- 

 peated a third time, when a seed 

 of the capsicum being carefully 

 placed in the centre of the fluid, 

 remained quiet, forming a re- 

 gular circle about itself, in the 

 fluid, resembling the halo of the 

 moon. This is considered as a 

 sign that the ]n-eparation of the 

 poison is complete. 



The dried milk of the Antshar 

 having been ])reserved close a 

 considerable time, can still be pre- 

 pared and rendered active. A 

 quantity wliich I had collected 

 ab(mt two months before, was 

 treated in the following manner 

 by the same person who prepared 

 the fresh juice. Being infused in 

 as much hot water as was barely 

 sufficient well to dissolve it, it was 

 carefully stirred till all the parti- 

 cles soluble in water were taken 

 up ; a coagulum of resin re- 

 mained \mdissolved ; this was 

 taken out and thrown away. The 

 liquor was now treated with the 

 s])ices above-mentioned, the pep- 

 per and the seed of the capsicum, 

 in the same manner as the fresli 

 juice. The same whirling motion 

 occurred as above described, on 

 the seed being placed in the 

 centre. Its activity will appear 

 from one of the experiments to 

 be related. 



2d. Of the Tshettik.— The bark 



of 



