The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-08-10
HAWA1I,S DEMON TREE.
The Story Of Wonderful Man.Eating Veg
etable.

A1OeTtlSeT, Was couHIshiuueu oy 1uo
Belgian Government to find certain
rare wandering plant that was believed to
grow on the higher slopes of Mauna
Kea, large extinct volcano situated in
the northern part of Hawaii. had q
station built on one of the wooded slopes
of the mountain, far away from any other
habitation. My only companion was q
native who had lived all his life on this
part of the island. About twice month
he would visit the seacoast to obtain
needful supplies for our camp. This
native, who said that his ancestors were
"big Chiefs" whose bones lay secretly
buried in caves on the mountain side,
VAS very old, although he could climb
canons and scale lava cliffs with wonder.
full agility.
During one of my botanizing excur-
sions I passed by the mouth of a narrow
canon or gorge, and I asked Pill, the old
native, if he had explored the same.
Pill suddenly became interested in his
pipe and didn't know anything about the
gulch and did not understand what I
said. This was rather strange in Pill,
for natives generally know every rock
and tree in the section where they live,
and I knew Pill was lying when he said
he did not understand me.
So, naturally, I determined to examine
into the mysterious ravine. Some time
after this I WAS walking with Pill down
gentle slope when I saw number Of
bones. Pill stopped. He walked back
few rods and sat down on stump. Not
word would he say. I began examining
the bones and for two hours or more puz'
zled my brain over problem as I had
never done before. What I found was
this: A circular area Of about one hum
dred yards in diameter thickly covered
with the bleached remains of birds, ami
mails and human beings. These ghastly
relics were scattered among the shrubs
| and grass. The larger bones were neal
the centre in fact, I found that the
bones became gradually smaller as I ap-
preached the periphery of this circular
bone yard.
In the centre CT the circle was we'll
like opening in the ground, from which
emanated sickening odor. No vegeta-
| ton grew within Fifty feet of this cavity
How came this hole with it's horrible
stencil? How came these bones here
How came they to be arranged about the
central opening? These questions con-
tinually presented themselves, but they
remained unanswerable, A deep mys'
terry seemed to hang over the spot. 1t was
growing dark. l heard Pill calling and
hurried to him. He pointed in terror te
to the centre of the bone-covered area
A shadow was thrown OH the scene by
rising bank of clouds. But declare
that saw rising from the pit visible
vapor, column of visible fog or smoke
or gas that was luminous. Spell bound
I gazed at the spectral column. Nea
the ground it had the appearance of
phosphoresecent flame and gradually be
came fainter as it assembled. YourIim
agination will have to picture the un
earthly phenomenon. Pill pulled at m.
arm and in silence we left the spot, ant
We did not loiter by the wayside.
As was looking for a simple plant
and not blood. .curdling manifestations,
was inclined to break camp and leave
But by morning my nerves were in bet
ter order, and went back to the scen'
of the evening adventure. I could fine
no clue to the mystery, and the matte
gradually went out of mind as l prose
cuted my labors.
But I had occasion after time tt
yisit a spot nea. where I had seen th'
canon about which Pill was so appa
rently ignorant. One evening I mad
known my intention to Pill to return t
the place and to explore the gorge,
"When 2" said Pill.
"In the morning." I replied.
Without a word the old native aros
from his mat on the floor and departed
He was gone all night. He returned b
sunrise, bearing on his shoulders bun
die. When we reached the canon b
stopr and unpacked his load. saw
stone idol, curious in shape; he place
it on the ground, and then took anna
pig from his bundle. Making fire, b
sprinkled something in the flames, mu
tered strange sounds and made symbo
in the air with his fingers. The anims
Offering was placed before the lido
After he completed his strange rites b
said that might never come back, br
lie had done what he could to preser7
nv life. He would wait until the goin
down of the sun, and then, if I did nj
come back, he would vail for me as di
his fathers long, long ago, when a so
fell in battle. Then he sat down, cove
ed up his head and was silent.
i All this made me feel uncomfortabl
The natives of the Hawaiian Islands al
supposed to be Christianized, but in tin
of danger or trouble many often turn
the discarded gods Of their fathers.
knew Pill believed that great dang'
!, awaited anyone who ascended the ravin
But I went. I had gone about mil
when over the tops of tree ferns I uaw
waving mass of sea green foliage und
{ lating in the wind. The object locke
like a huge bunch of thick.leaved SCI
f weed, and the peculiar motion OF tt
same arrested my attention. I was ov
three hundred feet away from the curio'
object, and hurried to obtain clos
: view. a wall of fern.covered lava abo'