Connecticut western news., 1889-08-21
AFRIC'S MAGIC SPRING.
TORTURES ENDURED BY ONE
 WHO DRANK ITS WATERS.
A Sensational Story of the Jungle.

" k1O DttfANh 11S " a1EVt<9s
 A Sensational Story of the Jungle.
 A traveller who has just arrived in Natal after an extensive exploration of the basin of the Zambesi River tells a sensational story of discovery made by him during his travels in the Ma kolo country about fifty miles west of Caningo. After passing through a barren section of country, during which time his supply of water be- came entirely exhausted, the traveller states that he was extremely gratified to find himself suddenly in the vicinity of spring with a plentiful supply of water. As rule the vicinity of springs in desert is generally made known by the presence of vegetation in their neighborhood. In this in- stance the water welled out between a number of stones forming sort of rocky gulch for few yards, disap- bearing again under the rocks. Though tortured considerably by thirst the traveller states that he partook very sparingly of the contents of the mys- terious spring, although the water tasted sweet and was apparently whole some. It is usual, however, to find a track of some kind leading to the well, especially in places where water is so scarce, and the absence of any sign of the we'll being used by travellers caused him to grow suspicious.
 Shortly after having partaken of the water the traveller made preparations to camp for the night, and as soon as he had made arrangements to retire he fell into doze. From the spot which he had selected for his bivouac the spring and a good portion of the small canyon in which it was situated was visible. The man states emphatically that he did not go to sleep, as what he witnessed immediately upon lying down filled him with such nervous forebodings that sleep was impossible. As soon as the sun had set he says that his ears were assailed with such hor- rible combination of dlscordant sounds that he rose and proceeded to seek the cause of the strange phenomena. The whole place was alive, he says, with a population that seemed to have been taken from some native cemetery. Forms and faces of the most abhor- rent character appeared and disap- peared as if merely for the purpose of terrifying the unfortunate visitor who had strayed into their exclusive domain. Some of the scenes which the horror-stricken witness describes are so realistic as tC make his hearers shudder. He says that the brutal orgies of these demon forms transcended anything which the most imaginative writer of fiction evel described, and some of the tortures they inflicted upon one another were too vile ever to have originated in the mind of man, however bestial he might be.
 For some more than ten hours the unfortunate traveller was compelled te witness these hideous spectral tableaux
 on several occasions being scared al
 most to death by the menancing atti
 tudes of some of the spectres towards himself. As day began to approach the hideous panorama began to disap
 pear, and exhausted by the horrible
 ordeal the wearied man sank back into
 slumber which lasted several hours
 When he awoke the strangest feature
 of all presented itself. Previous tt
 entering the fatal canyon the narrator
 was a robust and well preserved mar
 of about forty years of age, but witl
 the bangs of the most horrible thirs
 upon him that he had never expert
 enced nothing could have induced hin
 to drink another drop of the content
 of the spring, for in the short time tha
 had ensued since partaking of the frs
 draught he had become a wrinkled ant
 shrivelled relic of his former self.
 Gathering together his kit he at ono
 started to get out of the nightfall. HI made very slow progress, and, to ren
 der his position still more intolerable he saw that his way was dotted witt the skeletons and bones of individuals who, like himself had doubtless par
 taken of the waters of the poisone,
 spring. A few days after undergoin! } this horrible experience the travelle . reached village of friendly native and was cared for by them during long attack of jungle fever, which h eventually survived, and after com pleting his journey reached the city ! The transformation ill the mans ap pearance was so remarkable that non of the people to whom he had beer known previously recognized him up , on his return. There has been a dis position to scout his story by som people who have been in the Mankat country, but there is no reason wh, the man should fabricate such a story : The name of the traveller is HartZmal : or Harzman; he is German and ha made several long journeys of the sam character as the one he has just re