The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-08
STRANGLED BY A TREE.
Horrible Snake-like Coils of a
Strange Tree In Madagascar.

Strange Tree In Madagascar.
Far in the interior of Madagascar
dwells the remnant of the tribe of the
Mkodes. a diminutive race of print
tive people. These abOriginals never
! exceed four feet eight inches in height,
always go perfectly naked, and have no
other religion than the worship of the
! serpent tree. Near where the AIkOdOs
] live in caverns the serpent-tree. hid
/ den in what appears to be impenetraOle
| forest, awaits it's victims. When these
superstitious little folk wish to Danish
| some evil or court some favor they as
semble here, dancing and singing
around their yerdant object of wor-
ship.
The trunk of this tree resembles a
pineapple in shape, is about eight feet
high. black and as hard as iron From
the top to the cone eight leaves hang
to the ground. These are about u feet
long, three feet wide very thick and
end in sharp points Stout horns cover
the inner side. The top Of the cone is
hite round and from afar looks like
a small dinner-plate turned down on a
larger one.
This larger plate" contains a clear
viscous liquid. known to possess exceed
ingly Intoxicating and sOpOrific proper
ties. Just below il extend six green and
hairy shoots. about eight feet long and
sharp pointed. Above these. from be-
tween the two plates" six white,
plume-like tendrils rise vertically about
six feet. They are in constant motion,
shooting and twisting around with be-
wildering rapidity. The faint Kissing
noise thereby produced strengthens the
illustion that these tendTils are snakes
performing a hideOus dance.
Wilder and wilder grows the dance
OF the natives around the tree; wilder
and wilder sounds the chant. Finally
the savages. with a rush, surround one
of the females, and at the point of
their wicked javelins force her to
mount to the top of the tree There she
sits terrOr-stricken. The mob yells,
Drink Drink" In desperation the IN
fortunate victim at last scoops up some
of the fatal liquid with the hollow of
her hand drinks it, and jumps to her
feet, shouting and gesticulating wildly
among the vicious snaky tendrils.
One of the tendrils coils around her
neck-others wind around her arms and
legs. The women give vent TO horrible
ShriekS and more demOniacal laughter.
While her struggles already grow
fainter and fainter the horizontal hairy
shoots suddenly rise one by one, like
great green snakes. and Irvine them
selves with relentless force around her.
1t is vivid Interpretation of LaOcoOn'S
fate. without the beauty of that hero's
death.
The woman struggles no longer. Now,
almost incredible, the eight monster
leaves raise their tips from the ground:
they rise higher and higher. until they
inclose the victim as in a case of iron;
they press closer and closer, until-Oh,
horror the serpent trees store of lethe,
with the blood of the human
sacrifice. Oozes through its interstices-
With a yell of mad delight the saw
ages rush to the tree and lOp up every
drop of the horrid fluid The god is
appeased- After hideous orgies the par
Elephants sink down one by one in con-
and delirium TO long insensi-
bility, while the grim black tree con-
tinues to hold its victim in tight en-
brace.