The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1890-11-15

Well, l took home the poor dragglet
blossom to my hut, dissected it carefully
and made what scientific study was pos
sible of its unhappy remains in their much
ia tered condition But for the next tel
days. as you can readily believe. l could
think and talk and dream of nothing but
moon flowers. You can't think what ;
fascination it exerts on a naturalist ex
plOrcr's mind-a new orchid like that, q:
big round as dessert plate and marked
by so extraordinary and hitherto
unknown a peculiarly in plants as phos.
phOrescence. For the moon flower was
phosphorescent OF this l had not the
shadow of doubt. Its petals gave out
by night faint and dreamy luminous
ness, which must have shined like amoou
indeed in the dense dark shade of tropi.
cal African forest.
The more l inquired of the natives
about the new plant the more was my
curiosity piqued to possess one. longed
to bring root of the marvellous bloom
to Europe. For the natives all spoke OF
1t with certain hrsted awe or supersti-
tious respect. 1T is the Ngina's
flower" they said; lit grows in the
dark places the gardens of Ngina. If
any man breaks one of that is very bad
luck; the Ngina will surely overtake and
destroy him."
This superstitious awe only inilamed
my desire to possess root. The natives
stories showed the moon flower to be a
most unique species. gathered from
what they told me that the blossom had
a very long spur or sac, containing honey
at It's base in great quantities that il was
fertilized and rit,cd by huge evening
moth, whose proboscis was exactly adap-
ted in length to the spur and its nectary /;
that it was creamy white in order to at
tract the insects eyes in the gray shades
of dusk; and that, for the self-same rea-
son. its petals were endowed with the
strange quality of phosphoresccnce. till
now unknown in the vegetable kingdom :;
while it exhaled by night delicious
perfume, strong enough to be perceived
at some twenty4 yards distance. So
great prize to man of my tastes was
simply irresistible. made up my mind
that, come what might, | must. could
and would possess tuber of TIE moon
Hover.
One fortnight sufficed for me to make
MY final plans. Heavy brides overcame
the scruples of the negroes. The prom
ise of good rifle induced the finder of
the first specimen to take service with
me as a guide. Fully equipped for a
weeks march. and well attended with
followers all armed to the teeth. | made
my start at last for the home of the
To cut long story snort, we went tor
three days into the primeval shade of the
great equatorial African forest. Dense
roofs of foliage shut out the light of dav:
the ground was encountered
with thick. tropical brushwood. We
cTept along cautiously, hacking our way
At times among the brake with our cut
Iasses and crawling at others through the
ieep tangle of the underbrush on all
tours like monkeys. During all those
hree days we never caught sight of IA
single moon flower. They were growing
very rare nowadays, my guide explained
n most voluble Fantce. When he was
mere boy his father found dozens of them,
)ut now. why You must go mics and
niles through the depths of the forest
md never SO much as light on spcci-
men.
At last, about noon on the fourth dav
'ut. we came upon a torrent rushing
With great velocity among huge powders /
md sending up the spray of its boiling
apids into the trees of the neighborhood. /;
sat down to rest. meaning to mix the |
water from the cool, fresh stream with a !
poonful or two of cognac from the flask |
n my pocket. As | drank it l tossed |
Jack MY head and looked up. Some
hing on one of the trees hard by attract
d my eyes strangely. A parasite stood
ut boldly from fork of the branches,
'earing a long, 1.-THE spray of huge,
luminous flowers, as big As dessert plates.
Iy heart gave bound. The prize was
within Mght. l pointed my finger in
Hence to the tree. All the negroes with
ne voice raised loud shout of triumph.
heir words rent the air: THE moon
ower The moon flower"
felt myself for moment a perfect
tanley or Duchaillu. had discovered
he most marvellous and beautiful orchid
,nown to science.
| laid down my rifle, and mounting on
he back of one of my porters was swing,
NJ myself up to the lowest branch Of
ne tree, where my new treasure shone
esplendent in its own dim phosphor-
scence. couldn't have trusted any
and but my own to pick or egg out that
loriouS tubcr. | meant to cut it bodily
rom the bark as it stood and bear 1t
ack in triumph in my own arms to Tu-
lmba.
| had climbed the tree cautiously and
as standing almost within grasp of the