I knew that the tree had other names as well as baobab; that the negroes
of Senegal call it the "monkey's bread-tree," the "sour gourd," and
"lalo plant," and my book had been minute enough to give the botanical
name, which is _Adansonia_--so called from a distinguished French
botanist, of the name of Adanson, who, long ago, travelled through
western Africa, and was the first to describe this wonderful tree. I
even remembered Adanson's description of it, and his statement, that he
believed there were some baobab trees five thousand years old, or coeval
with the creation of the world. He had himself measured some of them
seventy-five feet in girth, and had heard of others that exceeded one
hundred! This I could now believe. I remembered, moreover, that he had
stated, that the fruit of the tree was a large oblong body, full nine
inches long, of a dull greenish colour, and covered over the surface
with a hoary down; that it was like a gourd, and when opened exhibited
several cells, with hard shining seeds, immersed in a soft pulp; that
out of this pulp, the natives, where the tree grew, manufactured an
aciduous drink that was good for curing fevers; that the leaves when
dried and bruised, were, by the same people, mixed with their food, to
counteract too profuse perspiration; that moreover, the larger leaves
are used for covering their huts, and out of the bark they manufactured
a sort of cordage, and also a coarse kind of cloth, which the poorer
people wore around their thighs, forming a covering that reached from
the waist to the knees. Vessels, also, were procured from the outside
shell of the fruit, which served in the same manner as those obtained
from the gourd or calabash-tree.
All these things did I remember at that moment, and intended to
communicate them to my companion as soon as we had got fixed for the
night; but as yet we had only arrived on the ground, and had learnt
nothing more about the gigantic vegetable, than that it was all one
single tree, for we could still make out the main trunk through the
glimmer of the twilight. Of course the measurement made by Brace was an
after performance, and was not done till long after we had arrived on
the ground.
Well, we had arrived by this wonderful tree; and stooping down, and
entering under its branches, we saw at a glance it was the very place
for us to pass the night in. A house could hardly have served us
better; and as for room there was enough to have accommodated the crew
of a three-decker. It hardly mattered where we lay down--as under its
wide-spread canopy there was ample choice, and nowhere was the dew
likely to disturb our slumbers.
We were determined, however, to light a fire, for we were still in dread
of the wild beasts. No wonder after such a day's adventures.
Though it was almost dark under the shadow of the tree, it was still
twilight beyond, and there was yet light enough for us to collect fuel
for our fire. So throwing down our lion-skin, and other impediments, we
proceeded to gather the logs. At a short distance off, we found a
quantity of dead timber, that would serve admirably for fuel, and three
or four double armfuls would be sufficient.
We were not slow in bringing them up; and, choosing a place under one of
the great horizontal limbs, we built our camp fire. The limb was so
thick and broad underneath, that it formed a roof of itself ample enough
to shelter us from any rain that might fall, and the ground underneath
was as dry as tinder, so that we had every prospect of getting a
comfortable night's rest.
We built our fire at some distance from the main trunk; and as soon as
it was fairly kindled, we gave over work, and sat down beside it.
Ben had his clay pipe in his pocket; and, filling this with the narcotic
weed, he set to smoking with great contentment. I was myself very
happy. After my experience on board the barque, this free forest life
was positively charming, and I thought I should like to continue it for
ever. Though I did not join my companion in a smoke, I sat down
opposite to him, and we both indulged in the pleasure of unrestrained
conversation.
I have said that, when we first entered under the shadow of the baobab,
it was quite dark there--just as dark as night itself--and we could not
see six feet beyond our noses in any direction but soon the fire blazing
up, enabled us to note our new quarters more particularly. We could see
above our heads the long egg-shaped fruit hanging down from among the
large leaves, while strewed over the ground were many that had fallen
from over-ripeness, and the shells of others that had opened, and shed
their seeds, and were now dry and empty.
All these things were noticed in a few seconds of time--just while the
faggots were beginning to blaze; but our attention was called away from
such observations, and concentrated upon a single object, which at once
created within us an eager curiosity.
This object was an odd appearance that presented itself on the trunk of
the tree. Directly beyond the fire, but--as already stated--at some
distance from it, rose the main trunk, like a vast wall. The bark was
of a brownish grey colour, wrinkled and gnarled, and with many knots and
inequalities over its surface. But in spite of this unevenness, as soon
as the flames brightened up, we noticed four regular lines, or cracks,
upon the trunk, meeting each other at right angles. These lines formed
a parallelogram about three feet in length by two in breadth. The
bottom line was about two feet above the surface of the ground; and the
parallelogram itself was outlined lengthwise against the tree.
As soon as we set eyes upon it, we saw that such a regularly formed
figure could not have arisen from any natural cause--the bark could not
have split itself into so perfect a shape. It was clear that the thing
was artificial--that is, that it had been done by the hand of man. In
fact, as we observed it more minutely, we could tell that this had been
so; for the marks of a knife or some other cutting instrument were
discernible in the wood--though the work had been done long ago, and the
colour gave no indication of when it had been done. The lines were of
the same dull grey as the natural cracks on other parts of the tree.
Our curiosity being excited, my companion and I rose from the fire, and
approached the great trunk to examine it. Had it been in an inhabited
country we should have thought nothing of it--for then we should have
fancied that some one had been cutting out figures in the bark of the
tree for their amusement--perhaps some idle boys--as I have often done
myself, and so had Ben, when he was an idle boy. But during all that
day's ramble we had met with no human being, nor had we seen either sign
or track of one; and we were pretty certain, from what we had been told,
that this part of the country was altogether without inhabitants.
Therefore it was, that the figure cut upon the bark of the baobab
surprised us--for this was a sign that human beings had been there
before us--though it may have been ever so long before.
We approached the trunk then to examine it more closely.
As we came near, we observed that the lines were very deep--as if they
had been cut into the wood--but beyond this there was nothing
remarkable. There was no other carving, as we had expected,--nothing
but this oblong figure, which had something of the shape of a small
window or door. In fact, as we stood gazing at it, it suggested to us
the idea of a little door that opened into the side of the tree, for the
crack all round its edge looked black, as if we could see into some dark
cavity beyond it.
This idea occurred to me as I stood gazing at it, and Ben had a similar
fancy.
"Dang it, Will'm!" said he, stepping nearer to it, "it be a door, I
believe," and then, leaning forward, and striking it with his fist, he
exclaimed: "Shiver my timbers, if 'tan't a door! Listen, lad! d'ye hear
that? it sounds as hollow as a empty cask!"
Sure enough, the stroke of the sailor's knuckles on the bark gave back a
hollow report--quite unlike that which would have been made by striking
the solid trunk of a tree. Moreover, we saw that the part which had
been struck shook under the blow. Beyond a doubt the tree was hollow,
and the part that had attracted us was neither more or less than a door
cut in its side.
This point was at once settled; for Ben with another "shiver my
timbers," raised his foot, and bestowed a lusty kick upon the part that
was loose. It instantly caved in, and exhibited to our astonished eyes
a door in the side of the tree leading into a dark cavity beyond!
Ben immediately ran back to the fire; and taking up several of the
blazing faggots--and placing them side by side, so as to form a torch--
returned with them to the trunk. Holding the torch before the mouth of
the cavity, we peeped in, when a sight met our eyes that produced
something more than astonishment--something very near akin to terror.
We both shared this feeling; and my companion, though a man, and a very
brave man, was quite as much terrified as I. In fact, I saw that his
frame shook all over, and his hands trembled in such a manner, that
several of the faggots fell from his fingers, and he appeared for some
seconds to hesitate whether he would not fling the torch away and take
to his heels!
It is hardly to be wondered at, when one considers the strange sight
that was revealed to our eyes. It would have tried the nerves of the
boldest mortal that ever lived, to have looked into that dark tree-cave,
without a previous knowledge of what was contained therein; and no
wonder that Ben Brace uttered a wild exclamation, and stood shivering in
speechless terror.
Within the trunk of the tree was a chamber. It was of square form,
about six or seven feet in length, breadth, and height. It was no
natural cavity of decayed wood, but had evidently been hollowed out by
the hands of men, not very exactly, but roughly hewn as if by an axe.
Along the back a portion of the wood had been left, resembling a bench
or banquette, and upon this bench were the objects that excited our
terror. Three human forms were seated upon it, with their faces turned
towards the entrance. They were sitting--as men ordinarily do when
resting themselves--with their backs leaning against the rearmost wall
of the chamber, and their arms hanging loosely by their sides--their
knees bent, and their limbs somewhat stretched out towards the centre of
the floor.
There was no motion on the part of any of the three; for although they
were human forms they were not living ones, nor yet were they dead
bodies! No, they were neither living men nor dead men, and this added
to our consternation on beholding them. Had they been alive, or only
corpses, the sight would have been natural; but they were neither one
nor the other. In their time they had been both; but it must have been
a long while ago, for now they resembled neither!
They were all three shrivelled dried up as mummies, but they were not
mummies either. They more resembled skeletons encased in suits of black
leather, that, although fitting tightly to their bodies, was
nevertheless wrinkled and puckered around them. There was wool upon
their crowns--they had evidently been negroes--and their eyes were still
in their heads, though lustreless and dried up within the sockets like
the rest of the flesh. One thing still preserved its lustre, and that
was their teeth. The lips, shrivelled and drawn back, exposed these
fully to view; and in the mouths of all three the double rows of teeth
were shining like white ivory. These, contrasting with the sombre hue
of their skins, and aided by the skeleton form of their heads, and the
gaunt prominence of their jaws, produced an appearance that was hideous
and unearthly in the extreme.
No wonder my companion shivered when he saw them.