POISON TREE. 327 
operation was performed upon them all in less than 
two minutes. 
“ My astonishment was raised to the highest de- 
gree, when I beheld the sudden effects of that poi- 
son ; for in about five minutes after they were lanced 
they were taken with a tremor attended with a sub- 
sultus tendinum, after which they died in the great- 
est agonies, crying out to God and Mahomet for 
mercy. In sixteen minutes by my watch, which I 
held in my hand, all the criminals were no more. 
Some hours after their death, I observed their bo- 
dies full of livid spots, much like those of petechiae, 
their faces swelled, their colour changed to a kind 
of blue, their eyes looked yellow, &c. &c. 
“ About a fortnight after this 1 had an opportu- 
nity of seeing such another execution at Samarang. 
Seven Malayans were executed there with the same 
instrument, and in the same manner; and I found 
the operation in the poison, and the spots in their 
bodies, exactly the same. 
“ These circumstances made me desirous to try an 
experiment with some animals, in order to be con- 
vinced of the real effects of this poison ; and as I 
had then two young puppies, I thought them the 
fittest objects for my purpose. I accordingly pro- 
cured with great difficulty some grains of upas. I 
dissolved half a grain of that gum in a small quan- 
tity of arrack, and dipped a lancet into it. With 
this poisoned instrument I made an incision in the 
lower muscular part of the belly in one of the pup- 
pies. Three minutes after it received the wound 
