Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-07-18
A DEVIL TREE.
The Horrible Australian Plant Thai
Eats Human beings.

4 ~
The Horrible Australian Plant That
Eats Human Beings.
: II you can imagine, says the South AiiS-
trdtsdH Register, a pineapple eight feet
nigh, 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 a
banana, but was dark, dingy brown, and
apparently as hard as iron. From the
apex of this fustieateIl cone Eat least two
feet in diameter) eight huge leaves shear
TO the ground, like doors swinging back on
their hinges. These leaves, which are join
ed at the top Of the trees at regular inter
walls, 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, tapeIing to a sharp
point that looked very much like a cows
horn, very convex on the outer (but not
Gnder)T surface, and on the under (nOw
upper surface slightly .cOncave. This con-
cave surface was thickly set with strong
horny hooks like those upon the head '0fia
teazle. These leaves, hanging thus limp
and lifeless, dead green in color, had in
appearance the massive strength OF oak
fibei. The apex of the cone was a
round cOncaYe figure like a smaller
plate set IN a larger one. This was
not a flower, bat receptacle,
and there eexudes into it "A clear,
treacly liquid honey, =, sweet. and pos
sessed Of violent intoxicating sOpOrific
properties. From underneath the rim $50
to speak Of the undemOst plate, selies
Of long, hairy, green tendrils stretched out
in every direction towards the horizon.
These were Seven or eight feet long and
tapered from four inches 70 half an inch in
diameter, yet they stretched out stifily as
iron rods. Above these, from between the
upper and under cups, six white, almost
transparent palpi reared themselves toward
the sky, twirlihg and twisting with mar
vellOus, ircessant motion, yet constantly
reaching upward. Thin as reeds and frail
as quills, apparently, they were vet five or
six feet tall, and were so constantly and
vigorously In motion, with such a subtle,
sinuOus throbbing against the air, With
their suggestions Of seTpents hayed, 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
HendIick told me were prOpitiatory hymns
TO the great tree devil. With still wilder
shrieks and chants, Hthey now surrounded
one Of the women, nddrged her with the
points Of their javelHB, until slowly, and
with despairiBg face, she climbed up the
stalk Of the tree and stood on the summit
OF the cone, the palpi swiTling all about
her. "Esikl Tsikln fdrinkl -drinkll cried
the men. STOPPING, she drank of the Viscid
fluid in the cup, rising instantly again, with
wild frenzy ih her face, and conyulsivs
cords in her limbs. Bat she did not
jump down, as she seemed to intend
10. Oh, no! The atrOciOUs CannibaI tree,
that had been so Inert and deal, came to
sudden, savage life. The delicate palpi, i
with the fury Of starved serpents, .quivered /
a moment over her head, then as if instinct 4
with demoniac intelligence, fastened upon 4
her in sudden coils round her neck and 4
arms, and while her awful screams and Vet /
more awful laughter rose wildly 10 be III 1
stantly stFansled down again into a gurg-
ling moan, the teudrils, one after another, |
like great green seIpentS, with brutal ener-
gy and Internal rapidity, rose, prOtIacted |
themselves and wrapped her about IN fold |
after fold, ever tightening with cruel sWifts |
ness and savage tenacity Of anacOndss fast |
eDiUg upon their prey.
Ii was the baTbsrity of tie LAGOON with
out its beaIJty-this strange, horrible muir I
der. And now the great leaves rose slowly /
and Stitly, like the arms Of a derrick, Z
erected themselves in the air, approached 4
one another, and closed about The dead 4
and hamPered victim with the silent force /
Of hydraulic pressure andtheruthleSs pUr-
pose of athumb screw. A moment mOTe.and I
while | could see the basis of these great I
levers pressing more tightly toward each /
other from their inters.iccs, there tricRled II
down the stalk Of the tree great streams Of I
viscid hOney-l.ke fluid, mingled horribly |
with the blood and OOzing viscera Of the |
victim. At sight Of this the hOTdes around /
me, yelling madly, bounded forward, |
crowded to the tree, clasped it, and with |
cups, leaves, hands and tongues, each one Il
enough Of tile liquid to send him
mad and frantic. ..-