Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1875-09-02
THE DEVIL TREE.

IL you cssu Imagine, says tue O0WA
A~stralian Register, a pine apple, eight
feet high and thick in proportion, rest
ing upon its base, and denuded of leaves
you will have a good idea Of the tree,
which, however, was not the color of an
anana, but was a dark, dingy brown,
and apparently as bard as iron. From
the apex of this fusticated cone Cat least
two feet in diameter) eight huge leaves
sheer to the ground, like doors swing
ing back on their hinges. These leaves
which are joined at the top of tree at
regular interval, 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 thickest part and three
feet wide, tapering to sharp point that
looked very much like a cows horn,
very convex on the outer (but not un-
der) surface, and on the under (not up
peri surface slightly concave. This
concave surface was thickly set with
strong horny hooks like those upon the
head of teazle. These leaves, hang
ing thus limp and lifeless, dead green
in color, had in appearance the massive
strength of oak fiber. The apex of the
cone was round concave figure like a
smaller plate set within a larger one
This was not a flower but receptacle,
and there exudes into it clear, treacly
liquid honey, sweet aud possessed Of
violent intoxicating soporifc proper
ties.
From underneath the rim $50 to
speak, of the undermos: plate, a series
of long, hairy. green tendrils stretched
out in every direction toward the hori-
zon. These were seven or eight feet
long, and taper from four inches to half
an inch in diameter, yet they stretched
out stifiiy as iron rods. Above these
(from between the upper and under
cups) six white almost transparent pap
pi reared themselves toward the sky,
twirling and twisting with marvellous
incessant motion. yet constantly reach
ing upward. Thin as reeds and frail as
quills, apparently, they were yet FIVE or
six feet tall, and we're so constantly and
vigorously in motion, with such a SUBJ
tie, sinuous silent throbbing against
the air, with their suggestions of ser.
pents fayed, yet dancing on their tails.
NY observations on this occasion were
suddenly interrupted by the natives who
had been shrieking around the tree with
their shrill voices, and chanting what
Hendricks 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 jaw
elins, until slowly, and with despairing
face, she climbed up the stalk of the
tree, and stood on the summit Of the
cone, the palpi twirling all about her
"Tsik Tsik p Drink! drink y cried
the men. STOPPING, 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. Oh. no! The atrocious
cannibal tree, that had been so inert
and dead. came to sudden savage life.
The delicate palpi, with the fury of
starved serpents, quivered q moment
over head. then as if instinct with de-
moniac intelligence, fastened upon her
in sudden coils round and round her
neck and arms, and while her awful
screams, and vet more awful laughter
rose wildly to be instantly strangled
down again into gurgling moan, the
tendrils, one after another, like great
green serpents, with brutal energy and
Internal rapidity, rose, protracted them
selves, and wrapped her about in fold
after fold, ever Tightening with cruel
swiftness and savage tenacity OF ana
condas fastening upon their prey.
1t was the barbarity of the LAGOON
without its heauty-this strange, horri-
bic murder. And now the great leaves
rose slowly and stifiy. ike the arms of
a derrick, erected themselves in the air,
approached one another, and closed
about the dead and hampered victim
with the silent force of a hydraulic press
and the ruthless purpose of a thumb
screw. A moment more, and while I
could see the basis Of these great leaves,
pressing more tightly toward each 9TH
er from their interstices, there trickled
down the stalk of the tree great streams
of viscid honey-like fluid, mingled hor-
ribly xith the blood and oozing visccra
Of the victim. At sight of this the
hordes around me, yelling madly, boun-
ded forward. crowded TO the tree, clasp
ed il, and with cups, leaves, hands and
tongues. each one obtained enough Of
the liquid to send him mad and frantic.