The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-01-10
VEGETABLE FlHND.

VEGETABLE FIEND.
The Maa-EaIinG Tree OF haduHascar--'
ttidrous orES,
4 traveller gives description ot d
angular tree found IN the island Of Mad
agascar, and worshipped by the
Mkoius, primitive race who dwell n
caves followed ont of rocks, and ar,
among the smallest uf human beings,
the men seldom exceeding tiity-slN inch.
es in height. After describing how be
was lel 10 the tree by one Henrek and
their natives, he continues l will Try
10 describe il "a you., Ii YOU can mag,
iue u pineapple eight feet high, aud
thick in proportion, resting upon lt'
base, and denuded of leaves, Won will
have A good idea Of the trunk Of the tree,
which, however, was not the color u
the anana, but dark. dingy brown, and
apparently hard as iron. From the apex
oi this truncatel cone Cat least two feet
IN dlametcrl eight leaves hung sheer u
the ground, like doors swung back on
their hinges. These leaves, which We're
ioined at the top OF the tree at regular
intervals, were about eleven ur twelve
feet long, and shaped very much As the
American aguaye, or century plant.
They we're two feet through IN their
thickest part, AMI three feet wide, taper
ing to IA sharp point that rrsembled a
COWS horn. very convex ON the outer
tbut now UNDER surface, and on the
Ia.
cave. This concaye face was closely set
with very strong thoruy hooks, rrsem,
bling those upon the head Of the teaZel.
These leaves, hanging thus limp and
hfeless, dead green IN color. had IL ap-
pearauce the massive strength Of an oak
fiber The apex Of the cone WAS a round,
white, concaye figure. like a smaller
plate set within larger one. TINS was
not iowrr. but receptacle. and there
exuded into Il clear, treacle liquid,
honey sweet, and possessed Of violent
Intoxicating and sporiic properties.
From underneath the rim. - to speak,
of the undermoet plate, series OF long,
hairy, green treudrils stretched IN
EVERY direction towards the horizon.
These were seven or eight feet long
each, and tapered from four inches 10 d
half in diameter, vet they stretched uui
stitfly as iron rods Above these iron
between the upper and under cup. slI
white, almost transparent palpi reared
themselves upward. Thin AS reeis and
frail as quilts apparently, they were vel
five or six feet tai, and were so constant
" and vigorously III motion, with sucl
subtitle, sinuous, silent thrObblnl
against the air, that they male me shui
der in spite Of myself with their sugges
ton of serpents hayed, vet dancing IN
theirtails. The description | am giving
you now is part made up from "a suhse
Quent careful inspection OF the plant.
Nv observations on the occasion were
suddenly interrupted by the natives,
who had been shrieking around the tree
in their shrill voices, and chanting what
Hendrick told me were propitiatorN
hymns TO the great devil-tree With still
wilder shrieks and chAuts they sur.
rounded one of the women, and urge
her with the points Of their jayelins
until slowly. and with despairing face,
she climbed up the stalk OF the tree, and
stood on the summit Of the cone, the
palpi twirling all about her. "riSk
Fsk r. drink drink . cried the men
and stopping she drank Of the viscid
fluid in the cup. raising instantly again
with wild frenzy in her face, and con-
vulsive cholera in her limbs. But SHE
did not Jump down rs she seemed "a
intend to do. Oh, no The atrocious
cAnnibal that had been so inert and dead
came 20 sudden, savage life. The slen.
der, delicate palpi, with the fury OF
starved serpeuts, quiyered for moment
over her head, then, rs II by instinct,
with demoniac Intelligence, fastene,
upon her in sudden coils round and
round her neck and arms then, while
her awful screams, and vet more awful
laughter, rose wilder. 10 he instantly
strangled down again into a gurgling
moan, the tendrils, one after another
like great green scrpeuts, with brutal
energy and internal npidity, rose, r.
tracted themselves, and wrapped hel
about in fold after fold, ever tightening
with the cruel swiftness and sayag,
tenacity of anacondas fastening upon
their prey. IL WAS the barbarity OF
the LAGOON without It's beauty-thii
strange. horrible munler. And now I'll,
great leaves rose slowly and stifiiy llk,
the arms Of a derrick, erected them
selves in the air, approaching one an.
other, AMI closed about the dead and
hampered victim with the silent force o
a hydraulic press, and tine ruthless pur
pose u a thumbscrew. A moment more
A. I 4 stf L.
great leaves pressing more tightly
towards each other. from their inter
stices, there trickled down tine stems
streams ol yI=cii huucy-like fluid. min
gled horribly with the blood and oozinp
viscera of the victim Al the sight OF
this the savage hordes around mJ
yelled mallv. bounded forward, crowded
t0 the tree, claspcd ii. and with cups,
leaves. hands and tongues, got each one
enOugh oi tle liquur t1 send him mao
and frantic Then cusned a grotesqu,
and in0esrribably hideous orgy from
which, even while It's convulslve madness
was turning rapidly into delirium and III
seusibility. Heurick dragged me hur.
riedly away into the recesses of forest,
hiding me from the dangerous brutes
and the brutes from me. May ] never
see such a sight again. The indescri Il.
BILE rapidity aud energy of its movements
may be inferred from the fact that saw
a smaller one seize, capture and destroy
an active little lemur that dropped 10y
accident upon it while watching and
grinning at me, and in vain endeayored
to escape from its fatal coils. With
Henrick's assistance and the consent oi
some OF the head men OF the Mkodos
(who, however, did not dare 70 stay tc
witness the act Of sacrilege), | cut down
one OF the trees and dissected it care
fully.