, 1894-07-11

pIOPOSO CIV, w ~
ton of the readers of the Avis" the latest
news about Stanley's Expedition i'll Africa,
which | clip from the New Jersy Agrcul-
turist," received this week from America.
"a Metal Eating Plant"
professor Schelwisch, the we'll known ma
turalist of Bavaria, while travelling with the
Stanley Expedition in the heart of Africa for
the purpose Of studying the Flora, and the
Fauna of the dark Continest, was the first
man to discover this strange plant. One day
while resting at a small village near the foot
of Mount Milesis, in the Umbopo region, Pro
fessor Schelwisch noticed a plant with a pc
culiar steel coloured foliage, and on ex&nina-
ton it was found that tie shrub, although
growing like other plants from the soil was
practically composed of iron. The leaves
though very thin, were bent with great
difficulty, and the tips and branches resisted
pressure with a force about equal to the same
amount Of iron, and to secure Il leaf it was
found to be necessary to separate it from the
bush, with a file. While Professor Schel-
wiSch was digging at the base of this plant
for the purpose of making an examination OF
Its roots, the natives crowded around HIM III
great numbers, gesticulating in a menaclng
manner. The Professor de8isted from his
work, and the interpreter was sent for. He
explained that this was a holy tree and wor-
shipped by the natives in their region as a
God plant, and that to dig it up, or any
other one, would bring rum and desolatiOn
upon the whole village and surrounding
country"
Professor Schelwisch offered to buy the
plant, and taking out a handful Of copper
coins gave them to the savageS, who gladly
accepted the money, and distributed it among
themselves. The Professor then returned to
the work of digging up this unique plant, but
had not made any great progress, when the
natives again set upon him. Through the in
trepreter the Professor Informed them chat he
had legally bought the plant, and intended
to remove it. AS soon as this message was
made known to the savages, every one who
had received a coin, came and dropped it in
the hole at the base of the shrub. Professor
Sohelwisch allowed the coins to remain in the
hole, and walked away toward the mountain to
find another specimen
''Nextd day as the party was preparing to
continue the march, the Professor was curious
to know if the coins, had remained uRdisturb-
ed during the night, by the superstitious
natives, and on approaching the metal plant,
was astonished to find it had changed it's CO.
lour completely. Instead of being a beauti-
full steel colour, the stem, leaves, and what
was exposed of the roots, presented the
appearance of newly coppered coins, and gilt
tered in the morning sunlight like polished
gold. Upon examination it was ascertained
that during the,night the strange plant had
absorbed nearly all the copper coins, with the
result of completely changing its colour. What
was left of the coins in the hole showed that
they we're more than half eaten away, or alb
sorbed, by the roots of the metal plant Not only
was the colour changed but the texture Of the
plant had undergone a similar transformation
1t was found that the thin ivy-shaped leaves
were now easily bent around the fingers,
would retain any shape given them, and
could be readily cut with an ordinary pair
of scissors"
"Professor Schelwisch succeeded in sur
reptitiously securing several branches of this
wonderful metal eating plant, and was also
successful in obtaining a good photograph of
it, all of which he intends placing in the
British Museum. No further trace of the
existence of the metal plant was found
until the expedition reached the Unidmesi
country, when at the base of the Nkom-
mabakosi mountains q perfect 70 est OF
this curious plant was found. This being an
uninhabited region, no difficulty was en-
countered in securing specimens to take back
to England"
"While in this locality ample opportunity
was afforded the members of the expedition
-