The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1878-06-11
A Horrible Plant.
THE MAN-EATING TREE OF MADAGAS'
cAR-HOw 1T SEXES ITS VICTIM.

| THE NAVIGATING TREE VI MhpAoAo-
CAR-Bow IT SEXES ITS VICTIM.
IF YOU can imagine pineapple eight
feet high, and thick in proportion, rest
ing 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 the banana. but dark,
diugy brown, and apparently hard as
iron. From the apex Of this truncated
cone Cat least two feet in diameter)
eight leaves hung sheer to the ground,
like doors swung back on their hinges.
These leaves. which were joined at the
tree at regular intervals, were about
eleven or twelve feet long, and shaped
very much like the American agave, or
century plant. They were two feet
through in their thickest part, and three
feet wide, tapering to sharp point that
looked like a cows horn. very convex.
the outer (but now nnder) surface, and
on the inner (now upper surface
slightly concave. This concave surface
was thickly set with very strong thorny
hooks, like those upon the head Of the
teazel. These leaves, hanging thus
limp and llfeless. dead green in color,
had in appearance the massive strength
of oak fibre. The apex of the cone was
round, white concave figure, like a
smaller plate set within larger one.
This was not flower, but receptacle,
and there exuded into it clear treacly
liquid. honey sweet, and possessed of
violent intoxicating and soporifc pro-
perties. From underneath the rim, 50
to speak, of the undcrmost plate a series
of long, hairy, green tendrils stretched
in every direction toward the horizon.
These were seven or eight feet long
each, and tapered from four inches to a
halfinch in diameter, yet they stretched
out stiffly as iron rods. Above these
from between tho upper and under
cup) six white. almost transparent. palpi
reared themselves toward the sky, twirl-
ing and twisting with a marvellous in-
cessant motion, yet constantly reaching
upward. Then the natives surrounded
one of the women and urged her with
the points OF their javclins, until slowly
and with despairing face she climbed up
the stalk Of the tree apd stopd on the
summit of the cone, the palpi twirlipg
about hcr "Tisk Tiss J" Drink !
Drink y cried the men, and stopping
she drank of the viscid fluid in the cup,
rising instantly agaiu with wild frenzy
IN her face and convulsive chorea in her
limbs. But she did not jump down as
she seemed to intend to do. Oh, no 4.
The atrocious canuihal that had been SO
inert and dead came to sudden savage
life. The slender, delicate paIpi, with
the fury of starved serpents. quivercd
for moment over her head, then, as If
by instinct. with demoniac intelligence,
fastened upon her in sudden coils round
and round her neck and arms then,
while her awfol scteaias and yet mure
awful laughter rosc wilder, to b. iu-
smnily strangled down again into II
gurgliug moan, TIE teudrils. one after
another. like grren serpents. with bru-
tai energy and internal rapidity. rose.
rctracted themselves, and wrapped her
ABOUT ip fold aiter foll ever tigpfenins'
with tho cruel swii.ness and savage ton
acity of anacondas fastening upon their
prey. 1t was the barbarity Of the Lao
coon without its beauty-this strange,
noribIo murae; And nov the great
leaves rose slowly and stilily like lhe
arms of derrick. erected themselves in
the air, approaching one another, and
clesed about the dead and hampered
victim yith the silent t1rce Of any hy-
draulic press and the ruthless purpose
of thsmb-scr'w. A moment more.
and while could see the basis of the
great leaves pressing more tightly to-
ward each other, nom heir intcrstices
there tricklrd down the stalks streams
of viscid boueyike fluid, mingled horri.
bly, with the blood and oozing viscera Of
the victim.-Letter from Carl Leche.
the dsscovercr.