trembles with his thunder; when immediately from the oppofite coaft of the lagoon, emerges from the deep his rival champion. They fuddenly dart upon each other. The boiling furface of the lake marks their rapid course, and a terrible conflict commences. They now fink to the bottom, folded together in horrid wreaths. The water becomes thick

and difcoloured. Again they fink, when the conteft ends at the bottom of the muddy lake; and the vanquished makes a hazardous ef cape, hiding himself in the muddy turbulent waters and fedge, on a diftant fhore. The proud victor, exulting, returns to the place of

the highest part of the ground, and
but a few yards from my boat.
From this open high fituation, I had
a free profpect of the river, which
was a matter of no trivial confider-
ation to me, having good reafon to
dread the fubtle attacks of the alli-
gators, who were crowding about
my harbour. Having collected a
good quantity of wood for the pur-
pofe of keeping up a light and
fmoke during the night, I began to
think of preparing my fupper, when,
upon examining my ftores, I found
but a fcanty supply of provifion; I
thereupon determined, as the moft
expeditious way of fupplying my
neceffities, to take my bob and try
for fome trout. About one hun-action;
dred yards above my harbour began
a cove or a bay of the river, out
of which opened a large lagoon;
the mouth or entrance from the
river to it was narrow, but the
waters foon after spread and form-
ed a little lake, extending into the
marthes; its entrance and fhores
within, I obferved to be verged with
floating lawns of the piftia and
nymphia, and other aquatic plants;
thefe I knew were excellent haunts
for trout.

; the fhores and forefts refound his dreadful roar, together with the triumphing fhouts of the plaited tribes around, witnefies of the horrid combat.

My apprehenfions were highly alarmed, after being a spectator of fo dreadful a battle. It was obvious that every delay would but tend to increafe my dangers and difficulties, as the fun was near fétting, and the alligators gathered around my harbour from all quarters. From these confiderations, I concluded to be expeditious in my trip to the la goon, in order to take fome fifh, not thinking it prudent to take my fufee with me, left I might lofe it overboard, in cafe of a battle, which I had every reafon to dread before my return; I therefore furnifhed myself with a club for my defence, went on board, and pene

The verges and iflets of the lagoon were elegantly embellished with flowering plants and fhrubs; the laughing coots, with wings half fpread, were tripping over the little coves, and hiding themfelves in the tufts of grafs; young broods of the painted fummer teal skimming the ftill furface of the waters, and following the watchful parent, uncon-trating the first line of those which fcious of danger, were frequently furprized by the voracious trout; and he, in turn, as often by the fuble greedy alligator. Behold him rufhing forth from the flags and reeds! his enormous body fwells; his plaited tail brandifhed high, floats upon the lake. The waters, like a cataract, defcend from his opening jaws; clouds of fmoke iffue from his dilated noftrils; the earth

furrounded my harbour, they gave way, but being purfued by feveral very large ones, I kept ftrictly on the watch, and paddled with all my might towards the entrance of the lagoon, hoping there to be fheltered from the multitude of my affailants; but ere I had half way reached the place, I was attacked on all fides, feveral endeavouring to overfet the canoe. My fituation

now

now became precarious to the laft degree; two very large ones attacked me closely at the fame inftant, rufhing up with their heads and parts of their bodies above the water, roaring terribly, and belching floods of water over me. They ftruck their jaws together fo close to my ears, as almoft to ftun me, and I expected every moment to be dragged out of the boat, and inftantly devoured but I applied my weapons fo effectually about me, though at random, that I was fo fuccefsful as to beat them off a little, when, finding that they intended to renew their attacks upon me, I made for the fhore, as the only means left me for my preservation; for, by keeping clofe to it, I fhould have my enemies on one fide of me only, whereas I was before fur-clofely attacked, particularly by an rounded by them; and there was a probability, if pufhed to the laft extremity, of faving myself, by jumping out of the canoe on fhore, as it is eafy to outwalk them on land, though comparatively as fwift as lightning in the water. I found this last expedient alone could fully anfwer my expectations, for as foon as I had gained the fhore they drew off, and kept aloof. This was a happy relief, as my confidence was in fome degree recovered by it. On recollecting myself, I difcovered that I had almoft reached the entrance of the lagoon, and determined to venture in, to get, if poffible, a few fish, and then return to my harbour, while day-light continued; for I could now, with caution and refolution, make my way with fafety along thore; and, indeed, there was no other way to regain my camp, without leaving my boat, and making my retreat through the marthes and reeds, which, if I could even effect, would have been in a manner throwing myself away; for then there would have been no hopes of my ever recovering my bark, and returning

in fafety to any fettlement of men.
I accordingly proceeded, and made
good my entrance into the lagoon,
though not without fome oppofi-
tion from the alligators, who formed
a line across at the entrance, but did
not purfue me into it, nor was I
molefted by any there, though there
were fome very large ones in a
cove at the upper end. I foon
caught more trout than I had pre-
fent occafion for, and the air was
too hot and fultry to admit of their
being kept for many hours, even
though falted or barbecued. I now
prepared for my return to my camp,
which I fucceeded in with but little
trouble, by keeping close to the fhore,
yet I was oppofed upon re-enter-
ing the river out of the lagoon, and
purfued near to my landing: though

old daring one, about twelve feet
in length, who kept fo close to me,
that when I stepped on fhore, and
turned about in order to draw up
my canoe, he rushed up near my
feet, and lay there for fome time,
looking me in the face; his head
and fhoulders out of water.
I re-
folved he fhould pay for his teme-
rity, and having a heavy load in
my fufee, I ran to my camp, and
returning with my piece, found him
with his foot on the gunwhale of
the boat in fearch of filh. On my
coming up he fuddenly withdrew,
fullenly and flowly into the water,
but foon returned and placed him-
felf in his former pofition, looking
and feeming neither fearful nor any
way difturbed. I foon dispatched
him by lodging the contents of my
gun in his head, and then proceed-
ed to clean and prepare my fish
for fupper, and accordingly took
them out of the boat, laid them
down on the fand clofe to the
water, and began to fcale them;
when, raifing my head, I faw before
me, through the clear water, the
head and fhoulders of a very large
alligator, moving flowly towards
N 2

me;

gaged my immediate attention. Returning to my camp, I found it undisturbed, and then continued on to the extreme point of the promontory, where I faw a fcene new and furprifing, which at first threw

How fhall I exprefs myfelf, fo as to convey an adequate idea of it to the

raifing fufpicions of my veracity! Should I fay that the river (in this place) from thore to fhore, and, perhaps, near half a mile above and below me, appeared to be one folid bank of fifh of various kinds, push

me: I inftantly stepped back, when, | alligators had nearly ceafed their with a fweep of his tail, he brushed roar, when I was again alarmed by a off feveral of my fifh. It was cer- tumultuous noife that feemed to be tainly moft providential that I look-in my harbour, and therefore ened up at that inftant, as the monfter would probably, in lefs that a minute, have seized and dragged me into the river. This incredible boldness in the animal difturbed me greatly, fuppofing there could now be no reasonable fafety fór me dur-my fenfes into fuch a tumult, that ing the night, but by keeping con- it was fome time before I could tinually on the watch: I therefore, comprehend what was the matter; as foon as I had prepared the fifh, however, I foon accounted for the proceeded to fecure myfelf and ef- prodigious affemblage of crocodiles fects in the best manner I could. In at this place, which exceeded every the first place I hauled my bark thing of the kind I had ever heard on fhore, almoft clear out of the of. water, to prevent their overfetting or finking her. After this, every moveable was taken out and car-reader, and at the fame time avoid ried to my camp, which was but a few yards off; then ranging fome dry wood in fuch order as was the most convenient, I cleared the ground round about it, that there might be no impediment, in cafe of an attack in the night, eithering through this narrow pafs of St. from the water or land; for I Juan's, into the little lake, on their difcovered by this time that this return down the river; and that the fmall ifthmus, from its remote fitu- alligators were in fuch incredible ation and fruitfulnefs, was reforted numbers, and fo close together from to by bears and wolves. Having fhore to fhore, that it would have prepared myself in the best manner been eafy to have walked across on I could, I charged my gun, and pro- their heads, had the animals been ceeded to reconnoitre my camp and harmlefs? What expreffions cau the adjacent grounds, when I dif- fufficiently declare the fhocking covered that the peninfula and fcene that for fome minutes congrove, at the diftance of about two tinued, while this mighty army hundred yards from my encamp-fish were forcing their pass? Durment, on the land fide, were in- ing this attempt thoufands, I may efted by a cyprefs fwamp, cover-fay hundreds of thousands of them, ed with water, which, below, was joined to the fhore of the little lake, and above, to the marshes furrounding the lagoon; fo that I was confined to an iflet exceedingly circumfcribed; and I found there was no other retreat for me, in cafe of an attack, but by either afcending one of the large oaks, or pushing off with my boat.

It was by this time dusk, and the

of

were fwallowed by the devouring alligators. I have feen an alligator take up, out of water, feveral great fifh at a time, and juft fqueeze them betwixt his jaws, while the tails of the great trout flapped about his eyes and lips ere he fwallowed them. The horrid noife of their closing jaws; their plunging amidst the broken banks of fifh, and rifing with their prey fome feet upright

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