POISON TREE CF JAVA. O 



Island on behalf of the Dutch Government, Mr. 

 Leschennult de La Tou7\ a French Natiiralisf, 

 was makiiig: a private collection of objpcts of 

 Nafural History for tbc Governor of the North 

 East Coast of Java. He shortly preceded me 

 in my viüit to the Easteni District of the Island, 

 and while I was on mv route from Sourabava in 

 that direction, I received from hlm a communi- 

 cation containing an account of the Poison Tree 

 as he found it in the province of Blarabangan. 

 I ani induced to make this statement, in order to 

 concede^as far as regards mvscit^to mr, ijesctii^ 

 naiilt de La Tour, in the fullest manner, the 

 priority in obscrving the Oopas of Java. I do 

 this to prevent any refiection, in case a claim to 

 the discovery should be made at a future period : 

 but I must be pcrmitted to add in justice to the 

 series of cnquiries which engaged me and 

 the manner in which they were carried on^ that 

 the knowledge of the cxistence of this tree was 

 by no means uncommon or secret in the District 

 of Blamhangan, in the environs of Banyoo-wan- 

 gee ; that the Commandant of the place,, a man 

 of soraë curiosity and enquiry, was acquainted 

 with it, aid that it conld not (in all probabilitv) 

 have escaped the notice of a prrson, who made 

 the \egetab'e productions an object of particular 



