Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-06-14
NO. 14O.
THE MAy-EArING TREE OF nADAGlsCAR

If you can imagine pineapple, eight
feet high and thick in proportion, resting
upon its base, and denuded of leaves, you
will have good idea of the trunk Of the
tree, which, however, was not the color OF
an anana. but dark, dingy brown. and
apparently as hard as iron. From the
apex of this fusticated cone Cat least two
feet in diameter) eight huge leaves sheer
to the ground, like doors swung back on
their hinges. These leaves, which were
joined at the trees at regular intervals,
were about eleven or twelve feet long,
and shaped very much like the leaves Of
an American agave or century plant.
They are two feet through in their thick
est point and three feet wide. tapering to
a sharp point that looked like cows
horn. very convex on the outer (but now
under surface) and on the under (now up
per- surface slightly concave. This con-
cave face was thickly set with strong
thorny hooks like those upon the head Of
the tcazle. These leaves, hanging thus
limp and lifeless, dead-green in color, had
in appearance the massive strength 0f0ak
fibre. The apex of the cone was round
white concave figure like smaller plate
set within larger one. This was not =
flower, but a receptacle, and there exuded
into it clear tracely liquid honey, sweet,
and possessed of violent intoxicating and
soporifc properties. From underneath
the rim $50 to speak) of the undermost
plate series of long hairy green tendrils
| stretched out in every direction toward
the horizon. These were seven or eight
feet long, and tapered from four inches to
half inch in diameter, yet they stretched
out stiffiy as iron rods. Above these (ffom
between the upper and under cup) six
white, almost transparent palp; r6ared
themselves toward the sky. twirling and
twisting with marvellous incessant mo-
ton, yet constantly reaching upward.
Thin as reeds and frail as quilts, appar-
emily, they were yet five or six feet tall. and
were SO constantly and vigorously in mo-
ton, with such subtle, sinuous. silent
throbbing against the air. with their sug-
gestions of serpents flayed. yet dancing
on their tails. My observations on this
occasion were suddenly interrupted by the
natives, 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 and chants
they now surrounded one Of the women
and urged her with the points Of their ja-
veins until slowly. and with despairing
face. she climbed up the stalk of the tree
and stood on the summit Of the cone, the
palpi swirling all about her. "Tsik Tsik v'
Drink drink y cried the men. Stoop-
ing, she drank of the viscid fluid in the
cup. rising instantly again. with wild
frenzy in her face and convulsive cords in
her limbs. But she did not jump down,
as she seemed to intend to do. oh. no!
The atrocious cannibal tree, that had been
so inert and dead, came to sudden savage
life. The slender, delicate palpi, with
the fury of starved serpents. quivered
moment over her head, then, as if instinct
with demoniac intelligence, fastened up
on her in sudden coils round and round
her neck and arms. and while her awful
screams and yet more awful laughter rose
wildly to be instantly strangled down
again into a gurgling moan, the tendrils.
one after another, like great green SER
pents, with brutal energy and internal ra-
pidity, rose, protracted themselves, and
wrapped her about in fold after fold, ever
tightening with cruel, swiftless and saw
age tenacity of anacondas fastening upon
their prey. 1t was the barbarity Of the
LAGOON without its beauty-this strange,
horrible murder. And now the great
leaVeS rose slowly anu StlH1y, uko the
arms of derrick, erected themselves in
the air, approached one another. and
closed about the dead and hampered VIC
tim with the silent force of hydraulic
press and the ruthless purpose Of q thumb
screw. A moment more, and while
could see the bases of these great tlevers
pressing more tightly toward each other
from their interstices, there trickled down
A. Ill ia a In< rA,,A <nTA 4 AAa
viscid honey-like fluid, mingled horribly
with the blood and oozing viscera Of the
victim: At sight of this the savage hordes
around me, yelling madly. bounded for
ward. crowded to the tree, clasped it, and
with cups, leaves, hands and tongues,
each one obtained enough of the liquid to
The South australian Register.