Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-11-09

in its hollow trunk performing Druidical
rites, and they used It's bl0od-red SAP the
Dragonis blood Of commerce) for emballn-
ing thor dead. When Alonzo dc Lugo.
the Conqneror Of Tenerifo, came 10
Orotnyn IN 1873 he spared the tree,
but scandalized nj the prOfane mysteries
which had taken place in its interior, he
converted its hollowness into n chapel LOT
holy mass. Humboldt in 1879 gives lts
height as appearing" about 90 10 GU Ieet,
and it's circumference near the roots as 40
feet. and the diameter of the trunk az 10
feet from the ground lis still IL English
feet.n and he computed it's age ct iOuVO
years. The opening was so large that
table was placed in IL, round which four
teen persons could seat themselves: ana q
staircase In the interior conducted the
visitor M TO the height whence the
branches sprang.
Slow indeed must have been It's growth,
for 400 years after the visit OF the first
navigatOrs lie Dru measured the tree most
carefully, proving that during that long
period the increase had only been one foot
at the base. and other dimensions being
practically identical. Since Humboldts
account Of the famous Dragon Tree OF
Orotava was visited by nearly all the ira
vellers, historians, monks peddlcrs, ana
soldiers who had the mildest globe-trot-
ting propensity. In 1873 an arm was
wrenched of m storm, and about some
forty years ago some INSCRIPTIONS per
son cut of huge piece of the hol-
low trunk and presented 1t to
the Kew Museum. Another storm III
1867 broke OF the upper part leaving
the trunk alone standing. traveller at
that time says the ground underneath was
covered with pieces OF broken branches,
some being eighteen feet in circumference.
When the land where the tree was growing
came into the possession Of the late Mar
quis del Sauzel he nursed the aged vegeta-
Die with loving care. filed up the gaps in
It's trunk with masonry. and did all that
was possible to prOlong its existence;
PiaZzi Smvth, who saw It IN 1856. measured
the trunk and found it 90 feet high above
Mt that level. and "a feet in circumference
at height Of AZ feet. He says ;
Proudly il raises it's antique arms
above everything around; but how
il Is hamperedl An indigenous Wild
laurel-tree is absolutely in contact
on one side, and Lombardy poplar Is
almost touching on the other; while there
are such numerous peach-trees, oleanders,
and oranges between and all about. ana
there is hardly point from which we can
get n fair view" The old tree. moderately
credited with 5000 years Of life, has gone
the way Of all trees, but most fehcitously
the Marquesa del Sauzal has planted on
It's exact site Seeding derived from lts
most ancient progentor, and this young
ster is now a healthy plant some four
feet high, lOOking-in shape only-eX-
actly like fine long carrot. lightly
stuck in the ground by its taper end. and
surmounted by a crown of swOrd-shaped
leaves. The visitor 10 Orotava still climbs
up the steep hill above Puerto to visit the
beautiful garden Of the Marquesa del Sau-
zal. and see the spot whore the historic
tree formerly stood. This baby dragon
will probably not flower for some twenty
or thirty years yet, and it viii only branch
after il has blossomed. In the neighbor-
ing garden there is q dragon which has not
yet blossomed, and yet it is more than
forty years old.