Bedford Inquirer And Chronicle

THE POISONED VALLEY OF JAVA.

It is known as the Gueva Upas, or poisoned Valley: and following a path which had been made for the purpose, the party shortly reached it with a couple of dogs, and some fowls, for the purpose of making some experiments. On arriving at the mountain, the party dismounted and scrambled up the side of the hill, a distance of a quarter of a mile, with the assistance of the branches of trees and projecting roots. When a few yards from the valley, a strong nauseous smell was experienced, but on approaching the margin, the inconvenience was no longer found. The valley is about a mile in circumference, of an oval shape, about thirty feet in depth. The bottom of it appears to be flat without any vegetation, and a few large stones scattered here and there. Skeletons of human beings, tigers, bears and deers, and all other sorts of wild animals, lay about in profusion. The ground on which they lay at the bottom of the vale appeared to be a hard sandy substance, and no vapor was perceived. The sides were covered with vegetation. It was now proposed to enter it, and each of the party having lit a cigar managed to get within twenty feet of the bottom, where a sickening nauseous smell was experienced, without any difficulty of breathing. A dog was now fastened at the end of a bamboo, and thrust to the bottom of the valley, while some of the party with their watches in their hands, observed the effects. At the expiration of fourteen seconds, the dog fell off his legs, without moving or looking around, and continued living only eighteen minutes. The other dog now left the party, and sought his companion, on reaching him he was observed to stand quite motionless, and at the end of ten seconds fell down; he never moved his limbs after and died at the end of seven minutes. A fowl was now thrown in, which died in a minute and a half. On the opposite side of the valley to that which was visited, lay a human skeleton, the head resting on the right arm. The effect of the weather had bleached the bones as white as ivory. This was probably the remains of some wretched rebel, hunted towards the valley, and taking shelter there unconscious of its character.