The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-03-10

from the curious object, and hurried
to obtain a closer view. A wall of
fern covered lava about ten feet high
stopped my course. Climbing up so
that l just could see over the edge, I
saw an object such as the eyes of
civilized man never before beheld.
Imagine bunch of sea weed about
twelve feet high; the edge of each
piece lined with fine streamers which
radiated in all directions and trem-
bled like fine wire spirals; the whole
object moving ike the fringes of a
sea anemone.
was wearing a heavy felt hat
with wide brim, and l pushed it
back from my forehead to get a
better view. As I moved my arm
the strange object ceased quivering,
and every vibrating antennal or
streamer pointed directly at me.
Just then my foot slipped from
iutting rock on which I was stand
ing and l fell, but not before some
thing cleaved the air with horrible
Kissing noise and struck on my hat
crown I felt the force of blow as
I fell, and knew no more for time
[ regained consciousness after
short time, and lay in a partial
stupor. The wall above me was
stripped of its verdure, and I saw
long sinewy, snake-like object with
ing. twisting and curling on the
rocks. 1t had missed its prey, and a
low angry hum filed the air.
The thing / saw from the rocks
was the Demon Tree it is fixed TO
the ground, but can instantly locate
any living object within radius of
so or so yards. It has several lasso-
like arms over 100 feet long these
arms are about two inches in diane
ter, strong as steel cables, yet phi
able and sensitive as an elephants
trunk. When in repose, they are
coiled out of sight in the foliage
but when victim approaches within
the deadly circle they fly forth with
unerring aim and terrible force. The
victim feels shock, falls, and the
terrible coil tightens around the
body, and it is slowly dragged to the
tree. When the flesh has been alb
sorbed, the bones are cast out and
fall about the tree.
I escaped only By falling cut of
reach of the deadly grasp. Possibly
my escape was also due IN some mea-
sure to the thickness of my old felt
hat. This turned the blow, and also
prevented me from receiving the full
effect of the stupefying force, which
appeared to be similar to the power
displayed by certain electrical ami
mails. The crown was cut from my
hat, and there is bald streak about
an inch wide across the side of my
head, which will always remind me
of my horrible experience in the
lonely ravines.
When I returned to Pill, somewhat
to my wonder he exhibited no signs
of astonishment OK surprise. He said
nothing, but packed up his god in
matter of-fact way. This action is
characteristic of the old time Ha-
waiians. He knew all about the
cannibal plant up the ravine, but
superstition would not let him speak
of it. He told me it was the demon
tree" and that bye-and bye it would
be struck by lightning and de-
stroyed. In olden times the demon
trees lived without this fate awaiting
them but since the introduction of
cattle, sheep, goats, dogs, etc, the
trees had more victims, and it ap-
pears that the absorption of SO much
animal substance generates phos-
phorescent vapor which, in time,
attracts bolt from the sky. The
bone-covered area before described
once contained a cannibal tree, that
had been recently destroyed.
/ returned to the vicinity Of the
Demon Tree, and watched it with
field-glass, and gathered some of the
facts given above. But my nervous
system had received such a shock
that could not prosecute my hunt
for the rare plant, and l soon left
the island.