The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-08-12

i ADEvIL TREE.
The Horrible Australian Plant that Eat
Human Beings.-A Frishtful Scene
If YOU can imagine, says HE Soutl
Australian Register, pine apple eigh
feet high, and thick in proportion
resting on its base, and denuded o
leaves you will have good idea of ths
truak of the tree, which, howeyer,wai
not the color of q banana, but was {
dark, dingy brown. and apparently al
hard as iron. From the apex Of this
fusticate cone (at least two feet in di.
ameter) eight huge leaves sheer to the
ground, like doors swinging back or
their hinges. These leaves, which are
joined 1T the top of the trees at regu.
lar intervals, were about eleven ol
twelve feet long, aud shaped very
much like tho leaves of an American
agrave or century plant. They are
two feet through in their thickest part
and three feet wide, tapering to sharp
point that looked very much tike a
cows horn, very convex on the cutter
(but not under) surface and on the
under (now upper) surface slightly
concave. This concave surface waa
thickly set with strong horny hooks
like those upon the head of teazle.
These leaves hanging thus limp and
lifeless, dead green in color. had in
appearance the massive strength OF
oak fiber. The apex Of the cone was
a round concave figure like q smaller
plate set within larger one. This
was net a fewer, but a receptacle, and
there exudes into a clear, treacly liquid
honey, sweet and possessed of violent
intoxicating soporific properties.
From underneath the rim Csc to speak,
of the undermost plate, a series. OF
long, hairy, green tendrils stretched
out in every direction toward the
horison. Those were seven or eight
feet long and tapered from four inches
to half an inch in diameter, yet they
stretched out stiffiy as iron rods.
Above these, from between the upper
and under cups, six white, also trans
parent palpi reared themselves toward
the sky. twirlipg. aud twisting with
marvellous, incessant motion, yet con-
stantly reaching upward. Thin ~
reeds and frail as quills, apparently,
they were yet five or six feet tall, and
were so constantly, and vigorously in
motion, with such subtle sinuous
throbbin. against the air, with their
questions Of serpents hayed, yet
dancing on their tails. - e,it ..a
Ny observations on this occasion
were suddenly interrupted by the ma
tives who had, been shrieking around
the tree with their shrill voices, and
chanting what Hendrick told me
were propitiatory hymns to the great
tree devil. With still wilder shrieks
aud chants they now surrounded one
Of the women, and urged her with
the points of their javalins, until slow
ly, and with despairing face she climb
ed up the stalk Of the tree, and stood
on the summit of the conc, the palpi
swirling all about her. ''Tsik! Tsik!"
Drink drink y cried the men,, Steop-
ing, she drand OF the visced, tuid in
the cup, rising Instantly again, with
wild frenzy in her face, and cenvulsive
cords in her limbs.a But she did net
Jump down, a. she seemed to intend
TO-. oh, no T. The atrocieus cannibal
tree, that had been 30 inert and dead,
came to sudden savage life. The deli
cate palpi, with the fury of starved
ssrpents, quiyered moment ever her
head, and then as if instinct with the
demoniac intelligence, fastened upon
her in sudden coils around her neck
aud arms, aud while her awful screams
and yet more awful laughter rose
wildly to be instantly strangled down
again int o gurgling moan, the ten
drills, enc after another, like great
green serpents, with brutal energy
and internal rapidity, rese, protracted
themselves and wrapped her about in
fold after fold, ever Tightening with
cruel swiftness and savage tenacity Of
annacondas fastening upon thsir prey.
II was the barbarity of the Laoceon
without its beauty-this strange her
rible murder. And now the great
leaves rose slowly and stifiy, like the
arms of . derrick, erected themselves
in the air, approached one another,
and closed about the dead and ham,
pered victim with the silent force OF a
hydraulic press and the ruthless pur-
pose of a thumb-screw. A moment
more, and while l could see the basis
of these great levers pressing more
tightly toward each other from their
interstices, there trickled down the
stalk Of the tree great streams Of Wis
| cod heney-likc fluid mingled horribly
with the blood and sozing viscera OF
the victim. At sight of this the
hordes around ne, yelling madly,
bounded forward, crowded to the tree
elasped it, and with cups, leaves.
hands and tongues. each one obtained
enou gh of the liquid to send him mad
and frantic.i 10 uojaisib odi ua. -
| q ytTlOr-TIT :. -E-T~"S' FsHI -f8t
A LITTLE girl reading, the History
of England with her mother, and com
ing to the statement. that Henry /
never laughed after the death of hi
son looked up and said: a.What, die