The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-05-17
A VEGETABLE DEVIL.


!as' ~ ,oiO anu Malthers magazine OF
carisrqhe, together with six notes upon
1t, by Dr. omelius Fredlowski, to whom
the letter by Carl Leche, the discoveIer,
from which the following is extracted,
was addressed; 'The Mksdos are very
PrlmltlVe race, going entirely naked,
having only liant sestiSes al tribal rela>
lions, and no religion beyond that of the
awfui reverence which they pay to the
sacred tree. They dwell entirely in
caves followed out OF the limestone
rocks IN their hills, and are one of the
smallest OF rates, the men seldom ez-
ceedIng htty-six inches in height. At
the bottom OF a valley 4 had no barom-
eter, but should not think it more than
400 feet above the Sea, and hear its east
ern extremity, We came TO deep, tarn-
like lake, about mile in diameter, the
sluggish waters of which overfiowed
into g tortuous reedy canal that went
unwllllngly into the Ie4ess 0f q Black
forest, jungle below, palm above. A
path dlverging from its southern side
struck boldly for the heart of the for
bidding ana seemingly impenetrable
forest. Henriek led the way along the
path, followed closely, and behifid me
a cuIiots rabble of Mkad6s men, women
and children. Suddehly ell the natives
began to cry Tepe TepeP ' and Hen
rick stopping short, said, Look" The
sluggish, canal like stream here wound
slowly by, ana I'M bare spot in its bend
was the most singular of trees / have
called it the crinoda, because when its
leaves are in action it bears a striking
rese nblance TO that well known fossil, the
criRoid lilystone Of st. Cuthbert's beads.
1t is now. at rest, however. / will try to
describe it 70 $3.50 yott anitnagine
ninsasale eisu - ssaG, - in
-p5ro.1l'ss.on, rs s1!n.e and
denuded OF leavsSi will have good
idea of the trunk of the tree, which,
however. was cot the color of the
banana, but ark, dingy brown, and
apparentl~ hud 60 iron. From
the apex of this huncated cone Cat least
two feet in dianrter) eight leaves hung
sheer to the gDund, like doors swung
back on their hinges. These leaves, which
we're Joined 1T TIE top of the tree at reg
ular intervals, we're sboat eleven or
twelve feet long, and shaped very much
ike the American agave, or century
plant. They were two feet through in
their thickest part, and three feet wide,
tapering to a sharp point that looked
like q cows horn, very convex on the
outer fbut, now pnderl surface, and on
the inner NOW Upper surface slightly
concaye. This cOncave face was thickly
set with very strong, thorny hooks. like
those upon the head of the teazle. These
leaves, hanging thus limp and lifeless.
dead green in color, had ia appearance
the massive strength of the oak f Der. The
1 -,
cave figttre, Like ssrnellet plate sst within
a larger one. This was not flower, bit
a receptacle and there exuded into it
clear treade liquid, honey sweet,
and possessed OF violent intoxicating
and soporiic properties. From under
meath the rim, % to speak, of the un Ter
most plate, series OF long, hairy, green
tendriIs stretched in every direction
toward the horizon. These were seven
or eight feet long each, and tapered from
four inches to half in diameter, yet
they stretched out stiffly as iron rods
Above these (from between the under
and upper cup) SIX white, almost trans
parent, pslpi Teaed themselves toward
the sky, twirlihg and twisting with a
marvellous lncessnt motion. yet con-
stantly reaching upward. Thin as reeds
and frail as quilh apparently, they were
yet five or six fet tall, and were so con-
stantlv and vigorously in motion, with
such a sinuOus, lent throbbing, throb
bling against the ir that they made me
shudder in spiteo myself with their
suggestion of serents fiayed, yet dancing
on their tails. The description I am
giving you now IS partly made up from
a subsequent cseful inspection OF the
plant.
My Observations on this occasion were
suddenly interrutedby the natives, who
had been shriekzs around the tree in
their shrill voios, and chanting what
Henrick told me ere p3Opitiatory hymns
TO the great devilree. With still wilder
shrieks and chars they surrounded one
of the women, ah urged her with the
points of their jgelins until slowly and
with despairing ice she climbed upsthe
stalk of the tree, nd stood on the summit
Of the cone, the plpi twirling all about
her. "'Tisk TIA !" drink. drinkl)
cried the men, ard stopping, she drank
of the viscid huiiin the cup, rising in
stantly again with wild frenzy in her
face, and convTlsiye cholera in her
limbs. But she did not jump down as
she seemed to intend 20 do On, no !
The atrocious cnnibal that had been so
inert and dead came to sudden, savage
life. The sIends, delicate palpi, with
the fury of Starved serpents, quiz
cred for moment over her
head then, as II by instinct, with de-
moniac intelligence, fastened upon her in
sudden coils round and round her neck
and arms; then while her awful screams
and vet more awful laughter rose wilder
to be instantly strangled down again into
a gurgling moan, the tendrils, one after
another. like crest green serpents, with
brutal energy and Internal rapidity, rose,
retracted themslve, and wrapped her
about in fold after fold, ever tightening,
with the cruel stiffness and savage te
nacity of anacondas fastening upon their
prev, 1t was the bsrbarity of the Lao
coon without it beauty, this strange,
horrible murdeL And now the great
leaves rose slowly and stiffiy like the
arms of derrick, erected themselves in
the air, approaching one another and
closed about The dead and bampered
victim with the silent force ofan hydrsul-
ic press and the ruthless purpose of
thumb-scerw. A moment more and
while could see the bases of the great
leaves pressing more tightly toward each
other, from theirin terstices there tIickled
down the stalks streams of blood and
ooziDg viscera ofthevictim. At the sight
of this the savagehordes around us, yelling
madly, bounced forsard, crowded to the
tree, clasped it and with cups, leaves,
hands and tonpesgot each one enough |
of the liquor to send him mad and
frantic. Then ensned gsotesque and
indescribably hdeous orgy, from which,
even while itsooDyulsive madness was
running rapidts.O delirium and i'll
sensibility, Hri jagged me hurriedly
away into the ecesses of the forest,
hiding me iron the dangerous brutes
and the brutesrom me- May l never |
see such sightlgain.
"BEAUTPUL FOREVER"