Travels in India (Tavernier) 146.2

146.2

An Englishman, when in a rage, having killed one of the subjects of the King of Macassar, and this Prince having forgiven him, all the Franks, English as well as Dutch and Portuguese, who were in Macassar, fearing if this murder was left unpunished the islanders would take their revenge by attacking some of them, besought the King to execute the Englishman, and urged him so strongly that at length he consented. My brother was much beloved by the King, who invited him to take part in all his amusements, and especially when drinking was in question. The death of the Englishman having been decided on, the King told my brother that he would not allow the victim to languish long, and in order to prove at the same time the extraordinary power of his poison, he would wound the criminal himself with one of his arrows. These are small poisoned arrows which are fired with a sampitan and the King, in order to show his skill, asked my brother in what part of the body he wished him to strike the criminal. My brother, who was anxious to see if what the King had told him of the rapid effect of his poison were true, asked him to strike him on the great toe of the right foot, this the King did exactly and with wonderful skill. Two surgeons, one English and the other Dutch, were ready to cut the toe well below the wound, but they were unable to accomplish it so skilfully but that the poison, more rapid, had reached the heart, and the Englishman died at the same moment.