POISON TREE. 
323 
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 de- 
linquents, who, in their return, have seen the birds 
drop down, and have picked them up dead, and 
brought them to the old ecclesiastic. I will here 
mention an instance which proves the fact beyond 
all doubt, and which happened during my stay at 
Java. 
“ In 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 domi- 
nions. 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 displeas- 
ing their neighbour, the massay. In this distressful 
situation they had no other resource than to repair 
to the uncultivated parts round the upas, and request- 
ed 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, al- 
