Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1875-07-17
THE IAN-EATIS TREE.

IF you can imagine pineapple eight feet
high and thick in proportion, resting upon
its base and denudcd of leaves, yop will
have good idea of the trunk of the tree,
which however, was not the color of an an
ana, but a dark, dingy brown, and arpar-
emily as hard as iron. From the apex OF
this fustcated cone, at least two feet i'll di-
ameter, eight huge leaves sheer to the
ground, like doors swinging back on their
hinges. These leaves, which were joined
at the top of 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 thckcst point,
and three feet wide, tapering to sharp
point that looked like a cows horn, very
convex on the outer (but now under) sur
face. and on the under (now upper) surface
slightly concavc. This concave face was
thickly set with strong thorny 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 fibre. The apex
OF the cone was round white concave fig
uge. like a smaller plate set within larger
one. This was not a flower, but a r2cepta-
Gle, and there exuded into it clear treacly
liquid honey, sweet, and possessed OF vio-
lent Intoxicating and ooporilic properties.
From underneath tho rim $50 to speak) of
the undcrmost plate, q series Of long hairy
green tcndrils stretched out in every direc-
ton toward the horizon. These were seven
or eight feet long and tapercd from four
inches to a half inch in diameter, yet they
stretched out stih!y as iron rods. Above
these (trom between the upper and under
cup) six white, almost transparent palpi
reared themselves toward the sky, twirling
ana twisting with marvellous inccsslnt
motion, yet constantly reaching upward.
Thin as reed and frailas quilts, apparently,
were yet FIVE or six feet tail, and were 50
constantly and vigorously il motion, with
such subtle, sinuous, silent throboing
against the air, with their suggestions of
serpcnts hayed, yet dancing on their tails.
My observations Oh this occasion were sud-
denly interrupted by the natives. who had
been shrie!ling around the tree with their
shrill Voices and chanting what Hendrick
told me We're 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 javelius. until slowly, and with de-
spairing face, she climbed up the stalk of
the tree and stood on the summit Of the
cone, the palpi swilIins all about her.
"Tsik. Tsik" Drink drinkD cried the
men. STOPPING, she drank of the yiscil
fluid in the cup, rising instantly again,
with Wild frenzy in her fac and conVHls.'e
cords in l.cr limbs. Bat size dill not jum2
down rs she seemed to intend to do o.,
no. The atrocious cannibal tree, that H..
been SO inert and deld, came to Su idea
savage life The slender, DELICATE rllpi,
with the fury of starved serpents, quiye:ed
a moment over her he I'd, then, us If Instinct
with dcmoniac Intelligence, fastened upon
hex in sudden coils round and round h II
neck and arms, and while her awful screams
and yct uorc awful laughter rose wildly to
be instantly strangled down again into a
gurslin moan, the tcndrils, one after am
other, like great green serpents, with bru-
tai energy and Internal rapidity, rose, pro-
tracted themselves. and wrapped her about
in fold after fold, ever tightening with cru
el swiftness ana savage tcnacity OF ana
condas fastening upon their prey. 1t was
the barbarity Of the I.2ocoon without its
beauty - this strange, horrible murder.
And now the great leaves rose slowly and
stiiily, like the arms If a derrick. erected
themselves in the air, approached one an
otkey and closed about the dead and ham
pcrcd victim with the silent force Of a hy-
draulic press and the ruthless purpose of
thumb screw. A moment more, and while
| coull see the buses of these great
levers pressing more tightly toward
eac, other from their intCrsticcs, there
trickild down the stalk of the tree great
streams of Tie viseid hoHey-lilse fluid, min
gled horribly with the blood and oozing
yiscera of the victim. At sight of this the
savage hordes around me, yelling madly.
bounded forward, crowded to the tree.
claspcd it, and with cups, leaves, hands
and tongues each one obtained enough of
the liquid to send Linn mad and frantic
South Austroiion Register.