FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167  
168   169   170   171   >>  
destroying them wherever he comes across them. He is very careful, however not to touch them with his hatchet but chops down one of the giants growing near which bears them to the ground in its ponderous fall. As soon as the dangerous trees are down the trunk and branches of their involuntary assassin are pulled away and they are left on the spot for one or two months to dry, and when completely withered they are burnt. * * * * * There is also a large and varied number of plants in the forest whose leaves are very dangerous. I will mention for an example the _sla dol_, _sla plek_ and the _sla clob_ the leaves of which, if eaten, may engender fatal consequences according to the Sakais. In some the poisonous qualities are located only in the roots. Of the _legop_, which belongs to this class I will speak further on, for now I will only name the _akar toba_. This root is first well pounded and then left to soak in some water for a few days after which the venomous liquid is thrown into a pond and a perfect massacre of big and little fish follows, all of which may be eaten without doing any harm to the persons. What sort of poison this is I cannot say for it has never been made the object of special study. I have proved its utility in destroying insects and particularly the larva of mosquitoes and the little worms that ruin fruit and vegetables. * * * * * The _ipok_ called "_upas_" by the Malays and "_antiaris toxicaria_" by botanists is a tree which supplies a poisonous juice to the Sakais of the plain. It is a colossus of the forest, and belongs to the nettle family. It has broad, shiny leaves something like those of the magnolia, and numerous species are to be found in the Malay Jungle. When the season is not too damp and there is a full moon the Sakais make some deep cuts in the bark of this tree and place some bamboo tubes around it in order to catch the sap which flows out abundantly. This juice has a gluey, resinous appearance and is white or yellow according to whether it is extracted from the trunk or from a young bough. [Illustration: A branch of the poison-tree "Upas". _p._ 210.] Then, whilst still in the thick of the forest, they light up a fire and boil the liquid during which process the _Ala_, who presides over the work, mutters the magical words without which the poison would not have the desired force. It is not ta
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167  
168   169   170   171   >>  



Top keywords:
poison
 

leaves

 

Sakais

 

forest

 

poisonous

 
belongs
 
destroying
 

liquid

 
dangerous
 

colossus


supplies

 

whilst

 
toxicaria
 

botanists

 
desired
 

nettle

 
magnolia
 
numerous
 

species

 

antiaris


family

 

Malays

 

insects

 

mosquitoes

 

proved

 

utility

 

called

 

vegetables

 

abundantly

 

presides


resinous

 
appearance
 

branch

 

Illustration

 

process

 
yellow
 

extracted

 
magical
 

Jungle

 
season

bamboo
 

special

 
mutters
 
perfect
 

months

 

completely

 
involuntary
 

assassin

 
pulled
 

withered