Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1891-10-10
THE CREEPING PLANT.
FRoNI cHAMBER's JouRNAL.

FROM CHAMBERS JOURNAL.
Poor Hammond managed to get
months leave at the same time as
myself. That was how we came to
join hands and arrange for the trip
to Formosa. | wish | had worked on
for year longer now, with all my
heart.
We crossed from Annoy to Taiwan,
big town on the west coast OF For
mosa, and made our preparations for
getting well into the wilds. You see,
we had both been i'll China, "A matter of
10 years, and could pass muster very
well with our knowledge OF two or
three dialects OF the dreadfully pro-
fuse language OF the Empire. And so
we expected to get along all right
to shoot n variety OF strange quad
rupeds and feathered creatures, and
Hammond to enlarge his already very
copious collection OF plants and
grasses.
Ineverknew a man more enthusiastic
about his hobby than was Hammond
about his specimens. 1t cost him
many groan to leave them on the
mainland. But for the infinite an
noyance they would have cost us both
| he would have carried them with him
to Formosa. They filled eight boxes
| as big as American travelling trunks
what with their layers OF wool and
| thick blotting-p paper, and the camphor
| wood cases in which the different
species reposed apart from each other.
| Poor old chap! he might have pleased
| himself in the matter. wish he had,
for his interest in the things might
have kept him from the craze that
/ killed him.
For a week we had a very agreeable
time in tile bungalow OF o certain
Scotch missionary whose name will
be familiar memory to every Euro
pean who has stayed awhile in the
island He was-indeed is-a very
remarkable man, and a credit to the
Anglo-Saxon race. Ii every man had
his due, he ought to be ACKNOWLEDGED
as Governor General OF Formosa,
though | doubt he would refuse the
dignity. This by the way. And yet
ought to mention him ii only for the
earnest warning he gave US about the
vermin and reptiles of the interior,
We spent two days in iourneying from
his house to the woods in which VIC
proposed to camp for fortnight, as
happy as Adam and Eve before the
fall
The forest scenery was magnificent,
but the brake OF braubles and flower
ing creepers which matted themselves
between the tree trunks nj ade progres:
cf1 W. lid cEiglr fn Nhf
tracks otherwise of course, it would
! have been different. And we were re
paid for our labor by the strange
creatures | shot, and by many a grass
and flower which Hammond was as
elated over as a mother with her first
: child.
t Two more days psased, and we pro
, nounced our holiday a success. TheI
Hammond sickened of fever or {
sunstroke, | could not determine
: which, He became delirious, and
: feared he would die. must say tn,
native Formosans, for al! their savag
look-they were all but naked in thi
part OF the island-were very kind
They brought me various juices anC
l simples, which they urged me to us
upon the invalid. But / was afrait
to do that. Ipreierred to rely upol
cold sponging and the quinine in on
medicine chest.
D On the seventh night of his illness
: when he was 50 quiet and improved
in tone that / thought / could leav
: him in charge OF Wan Tan, our littl
! native aide de camp, and get q goo'
: sleep myself, | was suddenly awok
by the boy with the words. He ha
gone" True enough, Hammond ha
, evaded his guard and run off into tn
, woods in his pyjamas.' was dread
fully alarmed. Without loss of timt
however, the boy and set out j
J. pursuit; and after about an hour "
4 caught him up as he was returnin
3 with bent head and puckered brow
but looking as free from delirium a
man could.
. "Why, my dear fellow" / saiC
t "what in the world led you to do S
: mad a thing?"
: Hammond gazed at me Indifferent
for moment. 1t was just as if b
+ had not yet got his senses fully afte
y a bad night. Then, with good dei
q of excitement, he bademe congratulate
him
2 "Upon what?" Iasked
s do you not remember" he replied
n chow we two have talked about I'll
o possible existence OF plants that NOV
y from one spot to another with I'll
/ same freedom as we conceited bipedf
II Well, I've solved that problem. The
It do exist. But ] Cunt reall
n can't-make out satisfactorilywheth
= they do it by the Exercise OF volitioi
: or whether they are transported
g spite Of themselves. It's not bit