The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1892-07-26
A DEMON TREE.
STE STRANGE STORY OFF, MAN-EAT-
ING VEGETABLE.
Relics in the Form of Human BOnes-The
Experience Of an Inquisitivo English
man Who Ventured Too Near.

| In the latter part of the year 1867, says
| e. Ellsworth Carey, in The Honolulu Ad-
| vertiser, | was commissioned by the Bel
| gian government TO find certain rare
wandering plant that was believed to grow
| on the higher slopes of Mauna kea,
large extinct volcano situated on the north
| ern part of Hawaii | had a station built
on one of the wooded slopes Of the noun
tain, far away from any other habitation.
| My only companion was a native who had
| lived all his life on this part of the island.
| About twice a month he would visit the
seacoast to obtain needful supplies for our
| camp. This native, who said that his an
| ceStorS were big Chiefs whose bones lay
| secretly buried in caves ON the mountain
| side, was very old, although he could climb
| canyons and scale lava cliffs with wonder
| full agility.
| During one of my botanizing excursions
l passed by the mouth of d narrow can
| yon or gorge, and l asked Pill, the old
| native, 1t he had ever explored the same.
| Pill suddenly became interested in his pipe,
and didn't know anything about the gulch,
and did not understand what l said. This
| was rather strange in Pill, for natives
| generally know every rock and tree in the
section where they live, and / knew Pill
was lying when he said he did not under
| stand me-
So naturally, / determined to examine
into the mysterious ravine. Some time af-
| ter this | was walking with Pill down
| gentle slope, when J. saw a number of
| bones. Pill stopped He walked back
| few rods and sat down on 81 stump. Not
a word would he say. | began examining
the bones and for two hours or more puz-
lied my brain over a problem as | had
| never done before. What l found was
| this: circular area of about one hundred
yards in diameter, thickly covered with the
bleacned remains of birds, animals and hui
man beings. These ghastly relies were
scattered among the shrubs and grass. The
| larger bones We're near the center; in fact,
| l found that the bones became gradually
| smaller as / approached the periphery of
| this circular boneyard In the center of
the circle was well-like opening III the
ground, from which emanated a
| Scllenlng Odor. No vegetation grew
within fifty feet of this cav
| ity. How came this hole with its hor-
| rble stencil? How came these bones here?
| How came they to be arranged about the
| central opening? These questions contin-
| ually presented themselves, but they re-
manned unanswprable. A deep mystery
| seemed to hang over the spot 1t was
| growing dark l heard Pill calling and
hurried to him. He pointed III terror to
| the center of the bone-covered area. A
| shadow was thrown on the scene by
| rising bank of clouds. But | declare that
[ saw rising from the pit visible yapor,
a column of visible fog or smoke or gas
| that was luminous. Spelbound, | gazed
| at the spectral column. wear iIt SIOulI
it had the appearance of a phosphorescent
flame and gradually became fainter as 1t
| ascended. Your imagination will have to
picture the unearthly phenomenon, Pill
pulled at my arm and i'll silence we lett the
spot and we did not lOlter by the WaySldc.
AS | was looking for simple plant, and
not blood-curdling manifestations, | was
inclined to break camp and leave but by
| morning my nerves were if better order,
| and I went back to the scene of my evening
| nd pl n IN
terry and the matter gradually went out OF
mind as ] prosecuted my labors.
But / had occasion after a time to visit
q spot near where | had seen the canyon
about which Pill was apparently lgno-
rant. One evening / made known my in
tcntion to Pill to return TO the place and to
explore the gorge.
"When?' said Pill.
''In the morning. ] replied.
Without word the old native arose FROM
his mat on the floor and departed. He was
gone all night. He returned by sunrise,
bearing on his shoulders q bundle When
we reached the canyon he stopped and un-
packed his load. ] saw stone idol, GU
rious in shape; he placed it on the ground,
| and then took a small pig from his bundle
| Making Il fire. he sprnkled something IN
the flames, muttered strange sounds ana
| made symbols in the air with his fingers
| The animal Offering was placed before the
| idol. After he completed his strange rites
| he said that l might never come back, but
| he had done what he could to preserve my
| life He would wait until the going down
| Of the sun. and then, if l did not come
| back. he would wall for me as dld his fath-
| or long long ago, when son tell IN battte;
| Then lie sat down, covered up his head ana
| was silent.
| The native of the Hawaiian islands are
| supposed to be Christiauized, but Ill the
| time of danger or trouble many often turn
| 10 the discarded gods OF their fathers.
| knew PHI believed that great danger await
| ed any one who assembled the raVlne. but
| | went | had gone about a mile, when over
| thu, tons of the tree ferns | saw a waving
mass of sea green foliage unduating III
| the wind The object looked like huge
bunch Of thckeaved scaWecd, and the
| neculiar motion of the same arrested my at
tention | was over three hundred feet
away from the curious object, and hur.
| RED to obtain closer view. A wall or
| farn-coyered lava about ten feet high stop
| ped my course. Climbing up so that just
| could see over the edge, | saw an object
| such as the eyes of civilized man never
| before beheld. Imagine a bunch of sea-
| weed about twelve feet high; the edge of
| each piece lined with fine streamers which
radiafe:l in all directions and trembled
| like fine wire spiras the whole object
moving like the fringes OF sea anemone.
| was wearing Il heavy felt hat with a
| wide brim, and Ispushed it back from my
forehead to get better view. AS moved
my arm the strange object ceased quycring,
and every vibrating antenna or streamer
pointed directly at me. just then my
foot slipped from a jutting rock on which
| was standing and I fell, but not before
something cleaved the air with a horrible
kissing noise and struck on my hat crown.
| felt the force of blow as | fell and
| knew no more for a time. / regained con-
| sciousness after a short time, and lay in a
| partial stupor The wall above me was
stripped of it's verdure, and / saw long
| sinewy, snake-Iike object writing, twist
| ing and curling on the rocks 1t had
missed it's prey, and low angry hum filled
| the air.