View allAll Photos Tagged Prostrate
"Semi-prostrate or erect, lignotuberous shrub, 0.2-1 m high. Fl. yellow, Jun to Sep. Mainly on lateritic gravelly soils, occasionally granitic soils."
Dondi @ Kalighat, Kolkata 2015
Dondi is a Hindu religious rite or ritual, an act of penance and worship to the Goddess Shitala to keep diseases at bay and keep her family healthy
It is performed mainly in Kolkata and Bengal, that I’m aware of & at quite a few locations. This particular event is held annually at Kalighat Kali temple area in the peak of summer. Devotees prostrate themselves on the bare ground in prayer, then get up to walk a few steps before prostrating all over again. The journey starts with a dip at the Ganga river banks in Kalighat and terminates about a kilometer away with a fire ritual
Most participants are women and children, with the odd men thrown in
Water is liberally strewn out onto the streets, by water tankers, volunteers and well wishers - by buckets on to the streets and participating devotees just to make this event possible
In a nutshell, www.joydeepmukherjee.com/gallery.php?id=NzE=
The golden rule if you wish to get into the thick of things is to get your foot wear off
needless to say my footwear came off very early on
first time i was witnessing this event, so i did not know the rules or the tricks
next up, is to save your gear from all the splashing water
For babies too young to participate in the dondi, they are often placed on the backs of the performing devotees, or placed on their paths on the ground. Sometimes the performing devotees are even asked to walk over these babies - a good omen or so they believe
Jeniang, Kedah, Malaysia.
Zornia diphylla (L.) Pers. Fabaceae. CN: "Nellu jollu soppu", Trencilla, Zornia, Barba de burro. GRIN claimed native to India (peninsular) and Sri Lanka; naturalized pantropically. Diffuse prostrate herb. Habitat - open sandy places. A diffuse annual with two ovate-lanceolate pointed leaflets. Minor weed; widely used in folk medicines.
Synonym(s):
Hedysarum conjugatum Willd.
Hedysarum diphyllum L.
Zornia conjugata (Willd.) Sm.
Zornia diphylla var. conjugata (Willd.) Trimen
Zornia diphylla var. zeylonensisv (Pers.) Benth.
Zornia zeylonensis Pers.
Ref. and suggested reading:
FRIM Flora Database
www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/ild-50583
www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?42301
www.fao.org/ag/agp/AGPC/doc/gbase/data/pf000092.htm
119.82.96.198:8080/jspui/bitstream/123456789/5105/1/Rajes...
William Buelow Gould (1803-1853)
Watercolour painting on paper (22 x 18cm)
Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office: Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts
Images from the TAHO collection that are part of The Commons have ‘no known copyright restrictions’, which means TAHO is unaware of any current copyright restrictions on these works. This can be because the term of copyright for these works may have expired or that the copyright was held and waived by TAHO. The material may be freely used provided TAHO is acknowledged; however TAHO does not endorse any inappropriate or derogatory use.
Lance-leaved Cassia
A variable growing shrub ie can be sprawling, prostrate or erect. Yellow flowers July to October. Sharp point on leaves.
Zaynab bint Ali quoted as she passed the prostrate body of her brother, Husayn. "O Muhammad! O Muhammad! May the angels of heaven bless you. Here is Husayn in the open, stained with blood and with limbs torn off. O Muhammad! Your daughters are prisoners, your progeny are killed, and the east wind blows dust over them." She made every enemy and friends weep.(Taken from Tabari, History of the Prophets and Kings, Volume XIX The Caliphate of Yazid).
In this picture, Symbolic coffin of Husayn ibn Ali (the grandson of Prophet Muhammad) is being carried to the designated sacred place for burial. A man was supporting me by pushing my back towards the crowd as the pressure was coming out from the crowd towards me.His one feet was in the drain and another one was on the curve of the drain, his arms was supporting my weights and pressure from the crowd. If he didn’t held me like that, I would have slipped to the near by drain. I didn’t know him, but I thanked him. I held my camera towards heaven and clicked.
The spirit of Ashura moved everyone including me. Everyone was clam and same time in a trance. Nothing went wrong, nothing can be when a community has same goal to unit and pray. it was an experience to remember. I look forward to be in it next year.
I am ending this series here. I can make a whole gallery from this collection. But not everyone has stomach for such nerve moving images.
End Series
Lens: EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
Camera: Canon EOS 5D
Location: Near Hussainy Dalan, Old Town Dhaka, Bangladesh
All contents herein are copyrighted © by Shabbir Ferdous Photography
Except where otherwise noted. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.
"Semi-prostrate or erect, lignotuberous shrub, 0.2-1 m high. Fl. yellow, Jun to Sep. Mainly on lateritic gravelly soils, occasionally granitic soils."
She was going along the pavement infront of the Potala palace ,prostrating on the ground in the ritual manner,then standing up moving a few steps & repeating. Was she being exploited by the man with her ? It was very heartbraking to see this tiny girl going through this tough prostrating ritual & keep repeating it.However it was not only me that felt so touched as she is clutching a wad of notes in her right hand given by the various tourists.So I suppose at least she did not go hungry.Such is the reallity for so many poor oppressed Tibetians.
INFANT JESUS OF PRAGUE NOVENA PRAYER
O Miraculous Infant Jesus, we prostrate before Your Image and beseech You to cast your merciful look on our troubled hearts. Let Your tender Heart, so inclined to pity, be softened by our prayers and grant us that grace for which we ardently implore You.
[Mention your request]
Take from us all despair, all trials and misfortunes with which we are laden. For Your Sacred Infancy's sake, hear our prayers and send us consolation and aid that we may praise You, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
The prayer is found on Catholic websites. For history regarding devotion to the Infant Jesus of Prague, please visit the following link: www.marypages.com/InfantJesusPrague.htm
More Prayers: www.christian-miracles.com/infantjesusofprague.htm
The stained glass window detail was photographed inside St. Rose of Lima Church, East Hanover, NJ, USA.
Copyright 2009 Loci B. Lenar
Common names: Berry saltbush, creeping saltbush
A prostrate plant growing in land often classed as wasteland. It is not a weed. We found it growing along the banks of the Avon River in York. Other plants growing there included Frankenia, Heliotrope and other saltbush plants.
The plants were growing on the banks of the Avon River in York and attracted insects that were feeding on the tiny flowers of the plant.
I like the little red berries that look like a pixie cap.
ID: Dr Kelly A. Shepherd, Senior Research Scientist Western Australian Herbarium
Photo: Jean
An ardent devotee prostrates himself before the Goddess and yet she seems to look away. Your valuable comments welcome.
"Banksia stenoprion is a species of prostrate shrub that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has short, underground stems, pinnatisect leaves with triangular lobes, golden, mauve or purple flowers in heads of up to ninety, and egg-shaped follicles."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banksia_stenoprion#:~:text=not%20pr...
The term 'pinnatisect' is new to me and means "cleft pinnately to or almost to the midrib" referring to the ribs on the leaves. A follicle is another term for a seed capsule (fruit) that opens on one side to release the seeds.
Photo: Jean
Out for a stroll.
My friends Heng Sure and Heng Ch’au walked from Los Angeles to Ukiah, which, since they prostrated after every third step, took them three years. They showed that the epic feats of ancient Buddhist pilgrims in Asia could be done in the America of today. Recently I asked Heng Sure what he learned from those three years. “Not much,” he answered. “Perhaps just this: When I feel some urge, it does not push me immediately into action. I experience an extra split second of inner distance, and in that spilt second I can decide whether to act or not.” Heng Sure’s answer was modest, but isn’t that the definition of freedom? We are free when we are not the slave of our impulses, but rather their master. Taking inward distance, we thus become the authors of our own dramas rather than characters in them.
-Tales of Wonder Adventures Chasing the Divine an Autobiography, Huston Smith
Plato said that most of us live in a dimly lit cave amid shadowy derivative reflections, but that it is possible to exit the cave and see what-is in clear light.
-Tales of Wonder Adventures Chasing the Divine an Autobiography, Huston Smith
/*****************
And so I do....in silence...
-rc
Prostrate Knotweed flower (a.k.a. Common Knotweed, wiregrass, wireweed, matweed or doorweed; Polygonum arenastrum) - Penny Lane, Penny Lake Preserve, Boothbay Harbor, Maine
I've literally pulled bunches of this weed out of my lawn, though it grows pretty much everywhere there is grass and plenty of light in the Penny Lake Preserve.
I'd never seen any flowers or seeds on this plant, and was wondering how it reproduced, so I dragged a bunch of gear out of the photography closet, and put together a rig capable of finding for answer to my question.
I then researched it on the internet, 'cause I'm a scientist, and that's what we do. So, I've confirmed that it is indeed an annual weed, and this particular one is quite common in Maine. Though, I am one of the few photographers in Maine who've managed to capture it's tiny inflorescence (a monochasial cyme in this case).
Novena in Honor of Our Lady of Altagracia
PREPARATORY PRAYER
O Dear Mother, Most Sweet Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness! Look at us here,
prostrated in your presence wishing to offer you this novena in testimony of our
love, and in thanksgiving for the innumerable favors we have received from your
hands. You are our Advocate and, like beggars, we come to present our needs to
you. You are our Teacher, and like disciples we come to learn from the example of
your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all
the love of our hearts. Receive Dearest Mother, our praise and listen attentively
to our supplications. Amen.
Supplications
1. O Sweetest Mother of Altagracia, pure and immaculate since your conception! We
beg you to bless our children, preserving their innocence and increasing their
love for purity.
(Hail Mary…)
2. O Sweetest Mother of Altagracia, Admirable Mother, who in your little house of
Nazareth, served as a model for Christian mothers and wives. We ask you to bless
our homes so that the sanctity and holiness of marriage will flourish in them.
(Hail Mary…)
3. O Sweetest Mother of Altagracia, you who had the joy of receiving in your arms the body of your Most Holy Son who died on the cross for us, we beg you to come to our aid at the our of our death, so that by dying with the name of Jesus on our lips and hearts, we can fly to the glory of your maternal arms.
Final Prayer
Most Holy Virgin of Altagracia, from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for
the continuous blessings you pour down on us. From your hands and from your
maternal heart we receive, each day, the sustenance given to us by our Heavenly
Father. You are our defender when we are in danger, our aid when we are in need
and our hope in the sacrifices proper of our Christian life. Through your
Immaculate Heart we want to sing a song of thanksgiving to God for all the
blessings he has given us. We promise you, O Mother, gratitude and fidelity. You
will reign forever in our homes and our town where we will venerate you as our
Lady and Mother by growing in all your virtues. Make us worthy of being called
your daughters so that serving God and you on this world, we will obtain the
highest grace you bring to us: a holy death that will open to us the gates of
heaven. Amen.
About to prostrate herself before Reverand Suzie, a missionary sent from Alba who has been blown off course and landed at Whitehaven in Cumbria
Will Carola confess her secret passions and beg to suffer flagellation for her sins.
Her duty carer from the home for lost trannies, looks on, in sadness
The Almighty Dragon
"Chinese emperors thought they were the real dragons and sons of heaven. Thus, the beds they slept on are called "dragon beds;" the throne, a "dragon seat;" and the emperor's ceremonial dresses are known as "dragon robes."
In the minds of the early Chinese people, the dragon was a god that embodied the will and ideals of the Chinese people. It is said that the dragon is a large-scaled reptile, which can become dark or bright, large or small, long or short, and fly into the sky in the spring and live underwater in the fall. It seems that the dragon is capable of doing almost anything. Traditionally, the dragons were considered the governors of rainfalls in Chinese culture: They had the power to decide where and when it would rain. They also believed kings of water dragons lived in dragon palaces under the ocean. The Chinese sign for the dragon appeared during the Yin and Shang dynasties (16th-11th century BC -- the period of the earliest Chinese hieroglyphs), between inscriptions on bones and turtle shields. The inscriptions depicted a horned reptile, with teeth, scales and sometimes even claws.
In ancient China nobody had any doubt about the existence of dragons. People showed great respect for any depictions of dragons -- in paintings, carvings and writings. As a result, the dragon became the symbol of the Chinese nation. All people in China, including the emperor, prostrated themselves before the image of a dragon with reverence and awe. As a result, this fictional creature became the spiritual sustenance for the nation first as the totem of a tribe and then as the symbol of the nation. Eventually, the dragon became the symbol on the national flag of the last feudal dynasty, the Qing Dynasty. The Chinese people considered themselves the descendants of the dragon."
Constructed by Chinadaily.com.cn
Prostrate shrub with white flowers. Width: to ca 40 cm. Height: to ca 4 cm. Flowers Oct - Nov.
The fruit or seed cases and seed are shown here. They fall off the plant easily and blow away or are taken by insects as they do not remain near the plants.
Named for it's strawberry plant like leaves.
There are few scattered populations with low numbers of plants. 2 in one up to 129 in another. The populations are monitored to check their health on a regular basis.
Photo: Jean Dec 2012
Found this little waxeye lying prostrate on our balcony. It had flown into one of the glass sliding doors on the balcony. It was breathing rapidly but didn’t appear to have damaged its neck or bleeding. I placed it where cats couldn’t get to it and kept an eye on it. After half an hour it opened its eyes and started moving its head and listening to other bird calls. Not long after it hopped up to-the edge of the balcony paused briefly then flew off. Thought it may have damaged its leg as can be seen in the photo but it hopped quite naturally so it appears it’s ok.
World Tour 2013 - 2014 - day 83
This action took place at the top of the main temple. Most of the visitor display a very important religious deference.
Seen and photographed at exhibition exploring the life and accomplishments of Ramses the Great, pharaoh of Egypt and one of history's most celebrated rulers....exhibition entitled "Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs" at de Young Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco (FAMSF).
Our previous sightings of this plant has been that they grow on laterite ridges so it was interesting to see it growing in the sand.
It is a low sprawling shrub with its flowers extending from the plant and sitting on the ground.
Here you can see open flowers within the head of flowers, also containing closed flowers.
Many of the styles of the flowers had been chewed off and occasionally the petals had their tips chewed as well.
Petals, stamens, ovaries and styles are visible in this photograph.
Photo: Fred
Prostrate, fleshy plant growing in dry sand at the top of the beach. A first for me. It felt cold and clammy.
Barmouth Wales UK 14th September 2016
Prostrate to sprawling shrub with a variable flowering time of May, July, September, October or November.
Photos Jean 2004
4 of 5, photos taken on two dates are of the same female plant. This one is prostrate but others are upright...one is over 6 feet tall. Some like this one have been nibbled by Javelina, Millville Wash, Cochise County, AZ, 19 October 2015
Just across the street from the famous al-Azhar Mosque in Islamic Cairo is probably the holiest site in the entire city: the al-Hussein Mosque, built in 1154 CE.
The mosque was named after Hussein [the second Ismaili imam, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) and son of Ali, the fourth caliph for Sunnis and the first imam for Shias].
Hussein was beheaded as a martyr in the Battle of Karbala in present-day Iraq on the 10th of Muharram, 680 CE. This date is known as Ashura (loosely translated to "ten" in Arabic) and its observance is one of the many aspects of Islam that separates the Sunnis from the Shias.
For Shias, the 10th of Muharram is a day of mourning as it is the day their first imam became a martyr. Sunnis however fast on the 10th of Muharram as it is said that the Prophet Moses fasted on this day to show gratitude to God for freeing the Israelites from Egypt.
However, Hussein became a martyr in 680 in Iraq, so why was there a mosque built in his honor in Egypt almost 500 years later?
Hussein's body and head was buried in Karbala near the place of his death after the battle, and a shrine / mosque was built in the space a few years later. It is known as the Hussein Mosque (similar to what became the name of the Cairene mosque). All the martyrs from the Battle of Karbala were also buried in a nearby mass grave. This site commonly known as the holiest site for Shias after Makkah/Medina.
But it is said that around the time that the 21st Shia Imam / Fatimid ruler, Tayyab, went into hiding, the head of Hussein was ordered to be transferred from the Hussein Mosque in Karbala to Cairo, and in 1154 they built a mausoleum for it, and a mosque around it: the al-Hussein Mosque. It is believed that this is the present location of Hussein's head, as well as a few other artifacts.
Next to Hussein's mausoleum is what is known to be the oldest and complete Qur'an existing today (pictured). It is written in much larger text than normally found in Qur’ans and it is blocked off by bars and glass, the same one's blocking off the mausoleum.
Also in the mosque (though the only confirmation I got of this is from two Egyptians in the mosque at the time), there is a closed off room that is said to house a few hairs from the Prophet Muhammad's (saw) beard, a sword and eyelashes. However, Topkapi Palace in Turkey claims to have the same artifacts and more -- perhaps both places have them. I have not yet been to Turkey so I cannot confirm the accuracy of this detail.
However there is something that I would like to write of al-Hussein's mosque that I found, as a Muslim, very disheartening.
In Islam, there is a term known as Shirk. Literally, "polytheism." Or to consider anyone a god other than God, or to associate partners with God (as in the Prophet Jesus being God's son). In Islam, shirk is known as one of the worst, if not the worst, sin. It is written in the Qur'an that God forgives any sin except for those who commit shirk.
Well, the reason I felt very disheartened in the al-Hussein Mosque is because I witnessed countless amounts of shirk. The acts of course could also be seen as paying respects, but there are tamer ways to pay respects, I feel.
I don't mean to offend anyone by writing this, because everyone has the right to believe and behave however they want, but as a Muslim, I was not happy with what I saw going on in the al-Hussein mosque.
In the mausoleum, the entire group was singing chants and prayers about Hussein (seen here). Many were rubbing their heads and hands against the railing that surrounded the mausoleum. Others kissed it. Weeping. Outside of the mausoleum in the prayer area, men were praying in groups facing the mausoleum. Almost as if they were prostrating before Hussein. These could all be seen as either signs of respect or simply praying toward Makkah (as Makkah is technically in the direction they were praying), but then why did they choose to pray directly in front of the mausoleum? The entire mosque was empty. To me, this is known as shirk, as they were dignifying Hussein to holy levels. Something very wrong in Islam.
The same thing was going on for the closed off room that housed Muhammad's (saw) beard / sword (seen in this photo here). Men lined up to kiss the door that supposedly housed such artifacts. Rubbed their heads and face against the door. To me, there are other ways to show respect than to kiss and bow your heads towards a person, or the idea of a person. Especially when the ways you choose to show respect is forbidden in Islam.
But what bothered me most about all of it was that no one was saying anything. It seemed common place.
Shias obviously hold Hussein in a much higher light than Sunnis do – and by connection they hold Ali in a much higher light. This form of paying respects is common place at the mosque in Karbala where the majority of people who go are Shia. But in Egypt, where it is said that Sunni is by and large the majority sect? Like figures that describe 99% Sunni? Why is there so much of this going on in a mosque, and on an Eid of all days!
(btw, there cannot be any absolute truth to the 99% figure of Sunnis. Cairo was in fact created by the Fatimid Empire, who was all Shia. There is a big anti-Shia sentiment in Cairo, or rather all of Egypt, but there is no way there are that few Shias in this country.)
A friend brought it to my attention that when she went for Umrah (like Hajj/pilgrimage) that security had to keep Muslims from the Prophet's (saw) tomb in Medina as they would perform the same type of shirk acts that I described to her there as well. Why was no one keeping these Muslims from doing the same thing here?
I really don’t mean to offend anyone in this writing, but I just can't understand why this was going on. So if anyone can enlighten me, please do so. I also posted up a video of the reverence inside the mausoleum here.
"Widely spreading or prostrate, dense shrub, 0.2-2 m high, up to 4 m wide. Fl. red/red-pink, Apr or Aug to Nov. Sand, often damp, sandy clay. "
Photos: Fred
Prostrate open shrub with yellow/brown/purple pea flowers. July-September. On gravelly laterite soil. Usually single plants over a wide area.
Photo: Fred
THANKSGIVING PRAYER: I prostrate myself before thy holy image, O Most gracious Infant Jesus, to offer you my most fervent thanks for the blessings you have bestowed on me. I shall incessantly praise your ineffable mercy and confess that you alone are my God, my helper,and my protector. Henceforth, my entire confidence shall be placed in you! Everywhere I will proclaim aloud your mercy and generosity so that your great love and the great deeds which you perform through this miraculous image may be acknowledged by all.
May devotion to your holy Infancy increase more and more in the hearts of all christians, and may all who experience your assistance persevere with me in showing unceasing gratitude to your most holy infancy, to which be praise and glory forever. Amen.
MESHACK BROWNING:
THE CELEBRATED BEAR HUNTER OF THE ALLEGHANIES 2
As he ceased speaking, he made another move, and,[148] as the buck sprang upon him again with his fore feet, he reached up, passed one arm around the animal’s neck, and then the other. Drawing the deer close to him, he vigorously endeavored to upset his valiant opponent. Meshack continued his laughter, for it was certainly a novel wrestling match, and the buck seemed to have the trapper at his mercy. He determined to let his friend fight it out to the bitter end, without any assistance on his part.
The buck seemed to be weakening after fifteen minutes of struggling, and Louis now raised his legs and threw them over the animal’s back. The snow-shoes were somewhat in the way, but he withdrew his right hand from the deer’s neck, and, as he lay beneath him, began to strike him in the ribs with his closed fist.
“It’s now your turn, you rascal,” he called out. “You have had your innings, and it is now my opportunity. How do you like this—and this—and this?”
Every time that he punched the buck the deer would grunt and endeavor to strike him with his fore feet.
Meshack had stopped laughing by now, and walking up to the fighting trapper, said:
“Let go of the buck, Louis, and I will finish him with my hunting-knife.”
“No! No!” replied the woodsman. “I have a good hold on him now, and I refuse to let go until either he or I lose our lives.”
He continued to strike heavy blows upon the buck’s side, as Meshack seized the animal by the ear. Now[149] determined to end the affair, he quickly dispatched him with his hunting-knife, and, as he dropped to the snow, the prostrate trapper drew himself to his feet with a loud shout of satisfaction and delight.
“Meshack,” said he, “you have saved my life! If you had not come, I do not believe that I would have whipped this fellow, for he was the toughest customer that I ever tackled in my entire woodland experience.”
Van Sickle was so upset by the beating which the buck had given him that he would never hunt any more unless Browning went in advance, and if a bush rattled, would jump back in deadly fear that another buck was coming after him. He was severely injured, having many black and blue lumps upon his head, and one very black eye. Two or three days later, he exhibited a long war-club, which he had made to defend himself with, as well as to attack the fighting bucks. It was eight feet in length, with a large knot upon the upper end, and was a deadly means of defense. He would never venture to the woods again unless Meshack went along, and, as the trapper would not go with him, he had no opportunity of trying his murderous instrument.
Shortly after this strange and novel battle in the woods, Meshack was asked by his wife to bring home some young turkeys for supper. Telling her that he could soon do this, he called his dog, Watch, and was off into the woodland. His faithful hound had been lame for more than a month from the bite of the last bear which he had tackled, and was still very stiff.[150] He frisked about his master in spite of this, and seemed to be all ready for anything that might turn up.
It was not long before the trapper saw three or four old turkeys with perhaps thirty or forty young ones. He sent Watch after them, in order to drive them towards him, but they flew into some low, white oak trees. When Meshack walked fast, as if he were going past them, they would sit still as they could for him to pass on. After taking twelve or fifteen steps the trapper would shoot off their heads. He thus kept on, until he had shot off the tops of nine young turkeys. This was sufficient for the larder, and whistling to his dog, he turned about for home.
Watch, however, seemed to be very much excited, and kept whining and sniffing, as if some species of game were near.
“What is it, my boy?” asked his master.
For answer the dog bounded away towards a large mass of rocks. Here he began to bark vociferously, so that the trapper felt sure that a bear was concealed near by.
“Fetch him out, boy! Fetch him out!” he cried.
Down went the dog, and into a crevice in the rocks, while Meshack raced to the other side. To his astonishment no bear came forth, but a huge panther bounded into the open, and, jumping from rock to rock, was soon out of sight. The dog followed along the rocks as best he could, and both quarry and pursuer were soon lost to view. After a few moments, however, the dog opened again, and seemed to be[151] coming back on the other side of the stones and laurel bushes, which here grew in profusion.
Meshack turned to follow the dog. When he had gone a few steps he heard something moving, and wheeling about, saw the panther creeping close upon him. As he went behind some rocks Meshack levelled his rifle. When he came out the trapper fired, directing the ball, as near as he could, to the heart of the ferocious beast. The gun cracked. The panther sprang into the air, snapping at the place where the ball struck him. Then, turning towards the trapper, he came on, put his paws on a small, fallen tree, and looked his adversary full in the face.
Meshack drew his hunting-knife, and, as the panther made a lunge at him, struck at him again and again. The sharp claws ripped the hunting-shirt of the bold pioneer and gashed his arms, but the fierce thrusts of the hardened woodsman soon made the beast cease his attack. He crawled into a leaning tree, where he sat for a moment glaring at the man in buckskin, and then came to the ground. In spite of the fact that he was bleeding profusely, he soon disappeared into a rocky cavern.
The bold trapper has written:
“I was really glad of it, for I found myself so nervous that I could scarcely load my rifle, and, when the panther was looking at me, I was determined that if he made an attempt to come near me, I would seek safety in flight. He would have been obliged to ascend a steep hill, and, as I had at least five steps the start of him, I do not think that he could have caught[152] me. If any man would run at all, I think this would have been as good a cause as any he could have wished for. I know, furthermore, that I would not have been distanced in the race.”
In the meantime Watch returned.
“Heigh on, Watch!” cried the trapper. “Go seek him out! Go seek him out!”
The dog was off in a jiffy, and descended to a large mass of rocks where he could be heard worrying the panther. The growling, snarling, and yelping soon ceased, so Meshack hastened towards the sound. He saw a den before him evidently in use for many years, and in the opening lay the beast, stone dead. Watch was licking his chops, as much as to say, “Now, what do you think of me, old boy? Didn’t I do a good day’s work, eh?”
Meshack was delighted, for the panther was evidently an old stager. He was of tremendous size. Many a dead deer had been found in this particular part of the forest in years past, so it was evident that the beast had ranged the woods for a long time. After his death no more half-eaten deer were seen in the woods by the hunters and backwoodsmen, so it was plainly evident that the mighty panther had been the cause of all this loss. Certainly the trapper had had a dangerous encounter, and had had a narrow escape from severe injuries.
Meshack had heard of a great den of bears on Meadow Mountain, called the Big Gap, and on April 4th, 1803, he started out to hunt them with a friend called Hugh. They were not long in reaching the[153] ground where the bears had denned, or “holed,” as the hunters called it. “It was,” says the trapper, “the greatest place for bear holes I ever saw in my life. I really believe that at least twenty had laid in one acre of rock. They had all left their holes when we arrived, in order to go out after acorns, except an old female and her younglings, which were located in a deep place in the rocks.”
The dogs soon found this family of bears and attacked them, although the old one fought with great fury, while her cubs ran for their lives. As they passed by, Meshack shot at one and killed it, although Hugh missed the one at which he fired. The old bear had left her hole, meanwhile, and endeavored to follow after her young, but the dogs worried her to such an extent that she did not get out of sight of the hole before she was shot dead at the first fire. Two of the young ones escaped.
The two trappers continued their hunt, and in the evening of the same day fell in with another old female and two young bears. The dogs ran them all up the same tree, but the laurel was so thick that as soon as they shot the old one the young ones ran safely away, while the dogs were worrying the mother. The dogs soon finished the parent bear, and, setting off after the two young cubs, drew so close that they put up a tree. Running after them, the trappers were not long in dispatching the two fugitives. Thus, with two old bears, and three cubs, the huntsmen felt that they had done a good day’s work. With great difficulty the booty was carried home by[154] means of two horses, and enough meat was thus secured to last for the entire winter. Besides this, the hides of the young cubs made an excellent carpet for the cabin of the pioneers.
Soon afterwards Meshack purchased some cattle, and, as there were scores of wolves about, on the same night that he took his stock to his home he missed one yearling, which he found had been killed by a wolf. This made him very angry.
“Mr. Wolf shall pay me for my calf,” said he, “and with interest.”
Taking a shoulder of the calf, he laid it in a steel trap and placed the bait in a running branch of water, taking care to hide it very securely. On the third morning after putting out this snare he went to the spot and found that the trap had disappeared.
Rain had fallen during the night and every trace of the wolf’s footprints was destroyed. Nothing daunted, Meshack returned home, called to both of his dogs, and endeavored to lay them on the trail. But they could not scent it on account of the great rain.
The trapper knew that the wolf would go to the nearest laurel swamp, to do which he had to cross a creek. Into this the pioneer waded and walked down it for some distance. Finally he saw where the trap had struck the bank as the wolf was crossing the stream. Wading back to the dogs, he carried them to the other shore, and harked them on the track of the wolf. At first the trail was very indistinct, but as they went forward it became fresher and fresher.
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In about half an hour the dogs began to give tongue and soon were hot on the scent of the wary old fellow, who could not run very far because the trap was fast to his hind legs. Finally there was a terrible hullabaloo, and, running to the sound of the noise, Meshack saw that the wolf had taken to a hollow tree. His head was sticking out, and every time a dog approached, he bit at him and howled dismally.
The dogs were not afraid of the beast, and kept springing at him. Every time a dog would come near enough the animal would snap viciously at him, and, if possible, would sink every tooth in that part of his body which he could reach. He was a terrible fellow,—black and shaggy. Meshack encouraged his pets to do all in their power, crying:
“Hark on, boys! Lay on to him! Fetch the old varmint! Bite the old calf-killer. Hit him, boys! Hit him!”
Finally the strongest dog took a deep hold on one of the wolf’s ears, while the other seized the remaining one. The wolf came out of the tree in a second, but the now energetic attackers threw him to the ground. Again and again he endeavored to recover his feet, but they pulled him over and over. They were all growing exhausted.
At this moment Meshack seized a club and took part in the battle. Again and again he beat the old fellow over the head. Again and again the dogs rolled him about. At length the fierce and ferocious beast gave a great, despairing kick, and it was all over.
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The trapper was delighted. Taking off the scalp and hide, he returned to his cabin, and subsequently sold both for nine dollars,—the price of two calves.
“My good wife,” said he, “I told you that I would make Mr. Wolf pay me well, with interest, for his incursions upon my cattle. I have done it.”
And his wife answered:
“Meshack, you are a man of your word—God bless you!”
One other adventure of this famous trapper of the Alleghanies is interesting, for he had another startling experience. This time he was accompanied by his good friend, Hugh, who was often his companion in bear and wolf hunting.
Deciding to go after bear at the Big Gap, Hugh and Meshack went into camp within three miles of some rocks where many of these animals had previously been seen in abundance. They arrived at the hunting-grounds quite early, having one of their best dogs along, a fellow who could handle almost any bear, whatever his size. The animal grew very lively when near some rocks, and soon ran into a hole, where his yelping was intermingled with loud growls, showing that some large animal was inside. Again and again the trappers called to their faithful hound, but he would not come out. There were three holes out of which Mr. Bear might come bounding forth at any moment.
Meshack had given Hugh a bayonet, fixed on a handle like a pitchfork, with directions to run it through the bear if he rushed by him. He, himself,[157] guarded the hole at which the animal was most likely to appear. The dog was making a terrific noise, as he struggled with the infuriated beast. The fight continued for half an hour, at the end of which time Meshack espied a part of the bear, when peering through a small crack in the rock. Putting his musket to the opening he fired. With a roar and rush the wounded beast dashed into the open.
“Run your bayonet through him, Hugh!” yelled the trapper. “Run your bayonet through him before he gets away!”
But Hugh was too timid to make the attempt. The enraged animal passed him with an evil snarl, and as he scampered to a tree Meshack vainly endeavored to ram another ball home in his rifle. The animal climbed slowly up to a limb and lay there growling evilly.
“Now is your chance, Meshack!” shouted Hugh. “Get after him! Give him a dose of lead!”
The trapper approached in order to secure a bead upon his victim, and, standing beneath the tree, was just raising his rifle so as to take good aim, when, with a mighty rush, Bruin came at him, through the air. It was an unexpected attack, and quite out of the ordinary, so you can well imagine what must the feelings of the trapper have been, as the bear whirled above his head. Stepping aside, he fired at the brown mass just as it reached the ground.
The fighting beast made a savage stroke at the trapper’s legs with his right paw, but Meshack was too quick for him and jumped swiftly aside. Again and[158] again the monster endeavored to get a blow in upon the pioneer, but each time the trapper dodged. Just then his dog appeared, seized Bruin by the hind leg, causing the old fellow to turn about, and snap at his antagonist. This gave the trapper a chance to load, and, quickly ramming home another ball, he pointed his flint-lock at the struggling beast, pulled the trigger, and planted a bullet in his body near the heart. With a savage growl of despair the bear dropped to the ground, where the faithful dog soon terminated his career.
“Hugh, where were you all this time?” asked the smiling Meshack.
His companion approached; much abashed at the small part he had taken in the fray.
“R-e-ally,” said he, “I feared that my weapon was not sufficiently strong in order to dispatch this monster. It might have bent, you know. Then, where would I have been?”
Meshack laughed loudly.
“Well, I reckon, you would have been bent, too,” said he. “For this fellow was surely a scrapper. Here, help me swing him on a pole and we will take him home for the winter’s supply of food.”
This they did, and Bruin increased very materially the slender larder for the winter months, when snow covered the trackless forests and it was impossible to hunt, to fish, or to secure venison or bear-meat in the deep and sombre woodland.
The early settlers, you see, being but few in numbers, had a hard time to maintain themselves; if they[159] had not been extremely economical they could not have lived in the wilderness at all. They fashioned their own clothes, they raised flax and wool, which the women spun and wove into linen and linsey for the men; and made flannel for their own wear. If any man wished to hire help there would be an understanding beforehand as to what the wages were to be paid in. Sometimes pork, beef, honey, or corn was used as a substitute for money. Sometimes a calf, pig, deer-skin, bear-skin, coon-skin, or a wolf’s scalp would suffice. The settlers all lived in cabins, and fed their children on bread, meat, butter, honey, and milk. Coffee and tea were almost out of the question. A few of the older ladies, who had been raised in other parts of the country, alone could use these staples of diet. Meat was plentiful, for, if the farmers could keep the wild animals away from their hogs, the nuts and acorns would make them very fat. Pork, beef, bear-meat, and venison were easily obtained. Wild meat was not thought very much of, because it was most plentiful at all times.
Politics were little understood among the men in buckskin. Most of them were Federalists. An election was usually held on the first Monday in October, when all the settlers would gather at the polling booths, arrayed in hunting-shirt and moccasins, almost every one of them with a big knife stuck in his belt. A stranger would have thought this some military party going to war, and, if a quarrel occurred, the two contestants would rip off both coat and shirt, and fight until one or the other acknowledged that he was[160] the beaten individual. Then their friends would take the bleeding combatants to the nearest stream and give them both a good washing. This would usually end the quarrel. The people were generous to strangers travelling through the country, and if a wayfarer lost his path a hunter would pilot him five, six, or even ten miles, until he was out of danger of being lost. They would refuse all compensation for their services.
In such a community Meshack Browning continued his life, and, in spite of numerous hairbreadth escapes from wounded bears and panthers, successfully escaped from any serious injuries, and he did not kill merely for the sake of killing. Honest and warm sentiments stirred his bosom, as the following story will show.
One day he was following a large buck, which ran into a crevice in some high rocks and there lay down. The trapper hurried after him, and, mounting a large boulder, eagerly searched for a view of the cunning animal. He stood on the rock and looked about him with the utmost care, but could see nothing of the buck, until casting his eyes down at the base of the rock directly below where he stood, there lay the fine fellow contentedly chewing his cud, apparently considering himself perfectly secure. He was watching the ground in front, not thinking that an enemy could approach on the side which the rocks so completely covered. Let me here quote the old trapper:
“The rock being fully twenty feet high, I was obliged to shoot nearly straight down, but when I[161] saw what a complete advantage I had, it greatly marred my pleasure to think that such a noble animal, possessing all the beauty bestowed by a pair of fine, large horns, a well formed body, and tapering limbs; whose life had been innocently spent (never having committed an injury against either man or beast) should be thus sacrified. My desire of killing him was so weakened, that I really had thought of letting him escape the death that was then hanging over him, but again it occurred to me that he was one of the creatures placed here for the use of man, that, if I let him go, probably the next hunter who caught him in his power would surely kill him, and that it would be as well for me to take him as to let any other person have him.
“So, taking a good aim, I fired at this monarch of the forest, when the poor fellow gave a few jumps, and fell dead. I declare the death of that deer gave me more real pain than pleasure. He was a large, old fellow, his head and his face being quite gray with age. I took his skin and returned to my cabin, having the river to wade and at least a mile to travel before I could reach home. The winter being then near, I believe that the death of this buck ended the fall hunt.”
The seasoned trapper was not always accustomed to shoot bears. Sometimes he would trap them in large log traps, hewn out of the forest timber by means of the axe. To entice the animals into this box, he used to roast the leg of a deer, and, while the meat was cooking, he would rub honey over it, so[162] that it would smell very strongly of the latter. Then he would cut off pieces of this sweetened meat, would tie them beneath his moccasins, would walk through the grounds which the bears frequented and would return to the trap. Every bear which smelled his tracks would follow the trail to the trap and would get caught in it.
Shooting wolves was also varied by trapping wolves, and for this he used to take a carcass of a cow or a horse, and lay it in a small stream of water. Then he would go off some distance, so that the wolf could not see where, and would cut bushes. He would stick the ends in the mud so thickly that the wolf could get at the meat only in one place, which was left open and clear. The carcass was so laid that the wolf could eat at either side.
A wolf will never jump over the bait, but will hunt the stream for a place to cross, in order to go around the other side, and eat. Therefore, the wise trapper would leave a passage for the animal to cross the water, and would set bushes about so thickly that they could not get through in any other place. The stream would then be widened where the wolves would pass, so that they could not step over it, and a flat stone be placed in the centre with green moss laid on top, so that it would look as if it had never been moved. Then meat would be cut into small pieces, and strewn on both sides of these crossing-places, both above and below the carcass.
When a gang of wolves would come to the meat the larger ones would drive the smaller ones off.[163] These would run about seeking food, and, soon finding the small pieces strewn about the crossing-places, they would run across, stepping upon the moss-covered stone as they did so. Every time they returned they would be sure to go over the place, setting their feet precisely in the same position on the stone.
The trapper would carefully watch the marks of the presence of the wolves. When he found that they made tracks on the stone by wearing away the moss with their feet he would remove the stone and put a steel trap in its place, covering it over with green moss just as he had covered the stone. When the animals came back, in order to seek food, they would cross as before, place their feet in the trap, and would be securely caught. The old ones, being at the meat when a young one would be caught in the trap, would not be afraid to return,—as there was nothing to scare them. After a while, however, all would become afraid of the crossing-places. Then wise Meshack would place his trap in the mud where they would stand to eat the meat. But after one was caught in this place, all would desert, and trapping would be over with this particular gang of wolves.
After capturing them in this manner for several years they became so cunning that they would not touch any bait which was offered them. The trapper therefore adopted another plan, which was as follows:
He found that they would pick up any fragments of old bones that lay upon the ground, but if they lay in water, or close to it, they would not touch them. He therefore saved all the large bones from the table,[164] particularly the joint ends of beef bones. He would beat them to pieces, mount his horse, so that his tracks would not be scented, and would scatter the stuff over a considerable area of land. Around this space he would then stick some bushes; so that the wolves, in order to get at the mess, would have to pass through an opening in the brush.
The wolves would soon find the bones and eat them up. Then they would be given a second meal. But, meanwhile, a trap would be placed at the opening of the bushes and would be stuck in a hole of its own size. All the extra dirt would be carried away. The trap would be pressed down an inch below the surface. Old leaves would then be laid over it, and it would also be covered with an inch of buckwheat bran, which would keep the wolves from smelling the iron. Then the skillful trapper would take some of the grass, which grew around the spot, and lay it carefully over the trap, so that no eye would discern the difference between that particular place and the surrounding earth. When this was done early in the morning, or before a shower of rain which would destroy all smell, a wolf would be always caught as he came up in search of the little bones. The pioneer was most successful in this method of defeating the cunning of the shy and treacherous animals, who were so destructive to the live stock of the settlers that a considerable sum was paid for their scalps.
That the wolves were fearless the following story will bear full witness:
A friend of the trapper’s called Mr. Calmes, was[165] travelling from Virginia to Kentucky with a number of others, at a time when the Indians were very troublesome. In passing through the wilderness they saw so many trails of the red men that they were afraid to keep a fire burning at night for fear that the prowling savages might see their light and attack them by surprise. They would therefore let their wood burn until their supper was cooked, then they would smother the embers and lie down in the dark.
One night they heard an animal moving around them, and seizing their guns, made ready to shoot it. But the animal, whatever it was, made off in the woodland. By its tracks they could see that it was a huge wolf. After the excitement had subsided they all lay down again to sleep, and one of them so stretched himself upon the ground that his head was exposed outside of the camp. When he was asleep the wolf returned, and, creeping upon him stealthily, bit him so severely about the head that he died before daybreak, without speaking a word to his anxious companions. Mr. Calmes often said that had this ferocious animal found a man in the woods by himself, and if it was at a time when he was particularly hungry, he would have fallen upon him and would have killed him at once. He wound up this grewsome yarn with the sage advice to the trapper to kill all the wolves that he could.
“Browning,” said he, “your hunting is really a great service to this country, for, if you come upon one of these sneaking wolves, you must spare no pain to kill him. There is no knowing how many cattle,[166] sheep, and hogs you will thus save to the inhabitants. I was going to tell you to be prepared for them, but I know that you understand the rascals and will take care of yourself. Whatever you do, do not let one of these bad fellows escape if you can help it.”
Meshack Browning did not do so. His long and active life was one of constant battling with the wild animals of the Blue Ridge, and at the close of his career all could justly say that nowhere had a more famous huntsman ever lived in the eastern portion of the then half-settled United States. Now little game is to be found where once deer, wolves, bears, and wild cats were plentiful, and, although sturdy and honest men still reside in the Alleghanies, seldom does one meet with a character like this bluff old trapper and pioneer.
— Famous Frontiersmen and Heroes of the Border: Their Adventurous Lives and Stirring Experiences in Pioneer Days By Charles Haven Ladd Johnston 1913
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A cactus that grows and thrives in New England. The pads get pretty tired looking in winter but it perks right up in the spring. A plant that can grow to several feet across, and plays nicely with other vegetative features in the garden. Great for a border or short retaining wall.
Each pad is a stem, and the stems are a kind of wandering modular growth form. This cactus spreads by vegetative (asexual) reproduction and when one of the pads breaks off it just starts a new plant.
Please join me in my blog “Botany Without Borders: Where Design Meets Science”