Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-10-09
PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN TREES.
Facts which Seem Fancies About the
Wonderful Haobab.

SA<F 49, WIN live wv fUEE0s
Facts which Seem Fancies About the
Wonderful Haobab.
We read wonderful stories Of the i'm
mehse trees one sees IN California, but
they sink into insignificance beside the
Baobab tree which found in western
Africa, principally just south of the des-
ert Of Sahara. Il Is not distinguished
for its extraordinary height, which
rarely reaches over 100 feet, but 1t is the
most imposing and magnificent Of Afri-
can trees; many, it is said, are over 100
feet in circumference, rising like a dwarf
tower from twenty to thirty feet, and then
throwing out branches like a miniature
forest to distance of 100 feet, the ex-
tremities of the branches bending toward
the ground The leaves are large,
abundant and OF dark green color, d.
vided into five l'adiating lanceolate leaf
let's. The flowers are large and white,
hanging to peduncles of a yard in length,
which forms striking contrast to the
leaves. The fruit is soft, pulpy, dry
substance about the size Of a citron, in
closed in long, green pod; the pulp be-
tween the seeds taste like cream Of tar
tar, and this pulp, as well as the pressed
juice from tho leaves, is used by the ma
tive Africans for favoring their food.
The juice is greatly reiisned as bever-
age, and isconsidered a remedy in putrid
fevers and many other diseases. BIZ
he al.n1 sa 10 TAI
greater age than any other tree, thou
sandsof years being hazarded as the term
Of life of some specimens. 1t has extra
ordinary vitality; the bark, which isregu-
larry stripped off to be made into ropes,
nets for fishing, trapping and native
clothing speedily grows again. no ex-
ternal injury, not even fire, can destroy
1t from without; nor can it be hurt from
within, as specimens have been found in
full splendor, with the inside of the trunk
followed out into chamber which could
hold a score of people. One-half of the
trunk may be cut or burned away--eyen
the tree may be cut down, and while
lying on the ground, 50 long as there is
the slightest connection with the roots it
will grow and yield fruit 1t dies from
a very peculiar disease--a softening OF
its woody structure, and it falls by its
own weight, mass of ruins. The native
villages are generally built around one OF
these immense trees, and under its fal
spreading branches, which form an agree
able shelter from the sun, is the kotla, o.
place Of assemblage, where all the public
business Of the tribe is transacted. The
circuit described by the extremities o.
the lowermost range of branches is
fenced around, SO that none but those
priviledged to attend these meetings Cal
intrude. In thinly populated districts Of
southern and central Africa, where lions
ieopards and hyneas abound, the natives
live in huts like gigantic beohivcs, firmly
fixed among the large branches of the
tree On the approach OF night they as
cend to their huts by means of rude
ladders, while the lions roar about theil
camp fires until the approach of day
drives them to their lairs.
AS many as thirty families have bee,
found to occupy single tree. In many
instances, natives who till the ground 4
any great distance from their tribe, built
these huts for nightly accommodation
In travelling through the country on,
frequently sees these trees alive with ba
boons and other kinds of the monke,
tribe, busy in collecting The fruit and in
dtlging. in ceaseless ganbols and chat
ter; for this reason it is commonly callet
the monkey bread tree. When the ire
is not occupied as habitstion, the hol
low trunk is used by the natives as
sepulcher for executed criminals--tht
law'of the people denying them the RICH
OF burial-insidc Of which the bodies dr.,
mp and 10 1t great extent resemble mum
mics To a European this tree is a mar
vel; coming across one inhabited b,
monkeys, it is extremely dangerous Z
shoot any unless one is with a party, for
If any are wounded, the whole colon
take up the battle, and moro than one
found that a retreat in short order wa
+ necessary. American Agricylturist.