Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-05-17
,.,.. Gazette d Virginia Advertiser.
THE MAN.EATING TREE OF MAZDA
GASCAR.

If YOU can imagine q ploeapple, eighl leel
b;yh aud thick 10 proportion, resting upon Its
base, and deuuded of leaves, you will have
Nod idea of the trupk of the tree, which, how.
'vrr, was no. the color of an anaua, but dark,
,,;nov drown, and apparently as hard as iron.
E,om @ the apex of this tustcated cone lat least
,vn feet iu diameter) eight huge leaves sheer
~ rbe ground, like doors swung back on their
hinges. These leaves, which were joined at the
RON of the trees at regular intervals, were about
.ey.D or twelve feet long, aud shaped very
mnch like the leaves Of an American agave or
century plant. They are TWO feet through 10
their tIickest point and three feet wide, taper
inr TO sharp point that looked like cows
boru, very CONVEX 90 the outer but now under
srracr) and on the under (now upper surface
slightly copcave. This concave face was thlcky
set with stroug thorny hooks like those upon
tha head of the teazle. These leaves, hanging
thus limp aud if.le>s, dead-greeu 10 color, had
in appearance tue massive strength OF oak h0re.
The apex OF the coDe Was round white COD
cave figure like a smaller plate set within a
larger one. This was not h,wer but r, cep-
tacle, and there exuded into it a clear treacly
Equld honey, sweet, and possessed of violent ln
tuxlcating apd spori6c properties. From under
meath the rim $50 to speak, Of the uudermost
plate series Of long hairy green tendrlls
stretched ou. 10 every direction toward the
horzln. These were seven or eight feet long,
aud tapered from four inches to halt inch 10
diameter, yet they stretched out st!my as
iron rods. Above these (trom between the
upper and under cup) six white, almost trans
parent pal pi reared themselves toward the
sky, twrliug and twisting with marvellous
incessent motion, yet constantly reaching up
ward. Thin as reeds aud frai as quilts, appa-
reutly, were yet five or six feet tail, and we're
50 constantly and vigorously 10 motion, with
such subtle, sinuous, silent throbblng
against the air, with their suggestions OF ser
pcuts h.yed, yet dancing on their tails. My
observations on this OCCASION were suddeoy
interrupted by the natives who had been
shrieklue around the tree With their shrlll
voices. and chanting what Hendrck told me
were propitiatory hymns to the great tIee
devil.
With still wilder shrieks and chants they
now surrounded one of the women and urged
her with the points of their javius uotil
slowly, aud with despairing face, she climbed
up the stalk Of the tree aud stood on the sum
mt of the cone, the palpi twlrling all abuut
her. "rsik !" "Tsik ~ Drink drink y cried
the meu. STOPPING, she drank OF the vlscld
fluid in the cup, rising Instantly again, with
wild treuzy in her face and convusive cords
10 her limbs. But she did DOT jump down
as she seemed to intend to do. Oh, 10 !!
The atrocious cannibal tree. that had been
SO inert aud dead, came TO sudden savage life.
The slender. delicate palpi, with the fury
of starved serpents qulVered moment over
her head, then, as if instinct with demoulac
intelligence fastened upon her 10 sudden coils
round aud round her neck and arms, and while
her awful screams aud yet more awful laughter
rose wildly TO be instantly strangcd duWn again
into gurglIug moau, the tendrlls, Que alter
another like great green Serpents, with brutal
energy, aud iuferDal rapidty, rose, protracted
themselves, aud wrapped her about 10 fold
after told, ever tig ghteUlog with cruel sWlttness
aud savage teuacity OF anacoudas fastening up
on their prey. II was the barbarity of the
LAGOON without its beauy-thls Strange, h0r-
rlble murder Aud DOW the great leaves rose
slowly aud stfhy, like The arms OF derrick,
erected themselves 10 the air, approached one
aDother, and closed about the dead and ham-
pered victim with the silent force OF hydrau-
lie press aud the ruthless pulp pose OF thumb
scr,w. a moment more, aud While could
see the bases of these great levers pressing
more tightly toward each other from their To-
terstices, there trickled down the stalk OF the
tree great streams of the Vlscld honey-llke
fluid, mingled horribly with the blood and ooz-
lug viscera of the victim. At sight of this the
savage hordes around me, yelling madly. bound.
cd forward, crowded to the tree, clasped 1t, aud
with cups, leaves, hands and tongues, each Que
obtained enough of the liquid to send him mad
aud trautc DR.. Jay, IN the South australian
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