The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-05-30
THE MAN.EATING TREE.
HORRIBLE PRODUCT OF NATURE-THE DEVIL.
FISH OF THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM.

HORRIBLE PRODUCT OF NATURE-THE DEVIL.
FISH OF THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM.
If you can imagine a pineapple eight feet
high and thick in proportion. resting upon its
base and denuded of leaves, you will have a
good idea of the trunk of the tree, which,
however, was not the color of an anana. but Q
dark, dingy brown, and apparently as hard as
iron. From the apex of this fusticated cone,
at least two feet in diameter, eight huge
leaves sheer to the ground, like doors swing
ing back on their hinges. These leaves,
which were Joined at the top Of the trees at
regular intervals, were 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 point
and three feet wide, tapering to sharp point
that looked like a cows horn, very convex on
the outer (but now under) surface, and on the
under (now upper surface slightly concave.
This concave face was thickly set with
strong thorny hooks like those upon the
head of a teazle. These leaves hanging limp
and lifeless, dead-green in color, had in ap-
pearance the massive strength Of oak fibre.
The apex of the cone was o round white con-
cave figure, like smaller plate set within q
larger one. This was not flower, but re-
centacle, and there exuded into it clear,
reacly, 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 to-
ward the horizon. These were seven or eight
feet long and tapered from four inches to a
half inch in diameter, yet they stretched out
stiffiy as iron rods
Above these from between the upper and
under cup) six white, almost transparent palpi
reared them selves toward the sky, twirling
and twisting with q marvellous incessant mo-
ton, yet constantly reaching upward. Thin
as reed and frail as quilts, apparently, were yet
five or six feet tall, and were SO constantlyand
in motion, with such subtle, sim
uous, silent throbbing against the air, with
their suggestions Of serpents fayed, yet dane
ing 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 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 javelins,
until slowly, and with the despairing face she
climed up the stalk of the tree, and stood on
the summit Of the cone, the palpi swimming
all about her. ''Tsik Tsik r drink drink y
cried the man. 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 do. Oh, no!
The atrocious cannibal tree, that had been so
inert and dead, came to sudden life.
The slender, delicate palpi, with the fury Of
starved serpents quivered a moment over her
head, then, as if instinct with demoniac in
telligence, fastened upon her in sudden coil
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 gurgling moan. the tendrils
one after another, like great green serpants,
with brutal energy and internal rapidity, rose,
protracted themselves and wrapped her about
in fold after fold, ever tightening with cruel
swifness and savage tenacity of ana
,ondas fastening upon their prey. It
vas the barbarity of the Laocoon
without its beauty-this strange horrible
murder. And now the great leaves rose
slowly and stiffiy, 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 n.y.
lraulic press and the ruthless purpose of
A moment more, and while l
,onld see the basis OF these great levers
pressing more tightly toward each other from
heir interstices, there trickled down the stalk
# the tree great streams Of the viscid honey
ike fluid, mingled horribly with the blood
nd oozing viscera of the victim. At sight of
his the savages gathered around me, yelling
oadly, bounded forward, crowded to the
rec, clasped it, and with cups, leaves hands
nd tongues, each one obtained enough of the
liquid TO send him mad and frantic. DR.. Jay
n the South australian Register.