60 CROCODILE ISLAND. 



lines; my war club, and bow with poisoned arrows. I embarked 

 and pushing out into the middle of the stream, I pursued my 

 way as rapidly as I could, in hopes of overtaking the beautiful 

 Nemrooma, or perhaps of seeing her on the bank, if she should 

 have been fortunate enough to swim to land. I kept my eyes 

 intently fixed on every bend of the stream in case her canoe should 

 have been stranded, but in vain. All that day I kept on my 

 course, and began to fear that ere I could overtake her, she would 

 be carried down to a bluff in the river, which we had called 

 Crocodile Island, and in that case I knew there was no hope of 

 her safety. How peaceful O Alatamaha, glided thy glorious ex- 

 panse of waters, bearing the vast shadow of the umbrageous oaks 

 upon their bosom, while thy banks were made vocal by the mu- 

 sic of unnumbered birds ! Little did such a scene of placid 

 beauty accord with the tumultuous throbbings of Nemrooma's 

 agonized breast. I thought what must have been her feelings 

 while floating past those magnificent scenes clothed with all the 

 verdure of luxuriant nature, and enlivened with the glittering 

 plumage of the various people of the skies which glanced for a 

 moment across her like glimpses of sunshine and then flitted once 

 more into the shadow of the woods. The banks were also orna- 

 mented with hanging garlands and bowers, formed, as it were for 

 the retreat of the river divinities, of the most beautiful shrubs and 

 plants. And here and there the eye was delighted with the large 

 white flowers of the ipomea, surrounded with its dark-green leaves. 

 " But all these enchanting sights were insufficient to divert my 

 thoughts from the probable fate of the beautiful Nemrooma. All 

 night 1 plied my course, and, on the morning, could still discover 

 no trace either of the girl or her canoe. About noon, I was made 

 aware, by the extraordinary sounds which saluted my ears from a 

 distance, that I was approaching the Crocodile lagoon. Inspired 

 by fresh anxiety to overtake her, if possible, before entering on 

 that fearful scene, I plied my utmost strength, and, at a bending 

 of the river, was rewarded for all my labours and anxiety, by a 

 view of the tender bark only a short way in front. Before 1 

 could place myself at her side we had entered the dreadful lake, 

 and the placid water was broken into a thousand ripples by the 

 countless multitudes of the alligators whicli inhabited the place. 

 The noise they made was of the most appalling description. 

 Terrified at tlie perilous situation in which she was placed, the 

 lovely girl uttered a scream of joy when she saw me, and had 

 only self-possession enough to step from her own canoe into mine. 



