322 
POISON TREE. 
but that no other shrub or plant could be seen near 
it ; and that the ground was of a brownish sand, 
full of stones, almost impracticable for travelling, 
and covered with dead bodies. After many con- 
versations with the old Malayan priest, I questioned 
him about the first discovery, and asked his opinion 
of this dangerous tree ; upon which he gave me the 
following answer : 
“ 4 We are told in our new Alcoran, that, above a 
hundred years ago, the country round the tree was 
inhabited by a people strongly addicted to the sins 
of Sodom and Gomorrah : when the great prophet 
Mahomet determined not to suffer them to lead 
such detestable lives any longer, he applied to God 
to punish them ; upon which God caused this tree 
to grow out of the earth, and rendered the country 
for ever uninhabitable.’ 
“ Such was the Malayan opinion. I shall not at- 
tempt 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 this reason, I also observed that the 
delinquents who were going to the tree were gene- 
rally 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 
