Natural History of the AUigator. 271 



eye, as he he ascends through the mouths of the mighty sea-hke 

 river Mississippi, is the Alligator. There, along the muddy 

 shores, and on the large floating logs, these animals are seen 

 either lying basking and asleep, stretched to their full length, or 

 crossing to and fro the stream in search of food, with only the 

 head out of water. It is here neither wild nor shy, neither is it 

 the very dangerous animal represented by travellers. But, to 

 give you details that probably may not be uninteresting to you, 

 I shall take you to their more private haunts, and relate what 

 I have experienced and seen respecting them and their habits. 



In Louisiana, all our lagoons, bayous, creeks, ponds, lakes, 

 and rivers, are well stocked with them,— they are found where- 

 ever there is a sufficient quantity of water to hide them, or to fur- 

 nish them with food, and they continue thus, in great numbers, 

 as high as the mouth of the Arkansas River, extending east to 

 North Carohna, and as far west as I have penetrated. On 

 the Red River, before it was navigated by steam-vessels, they 

 were so extremely abundant, that, to see hundreds at a sight 

 along the shores, or on the immense rafts of floating or strand- 

 ed timber, was quite a common occun-ence, the smaller on 

 the backs of the larger, groaning and uttering their bellowing 

 noise, like thousands of irritated bulls about to meet in fight, 

 but all so careless of man, that unless shot at, or positively dis- 

 turbed, they remained motionless, suff*ering boats or canoes to 

 pass within a few yards of them, without noticing them in the 

 least. The shores are yet trampled by them in such a manner, 

 that their large tracks are seen as plentiful as those of sheep in a 

 fold. It was on that river particularly that thousands of the 

 largest size were killed, when the mania of having either shoes, 

 boots, or saddle-seats, made of their hides, lasted. It had be- 

 come an article of trade, and many of the squatters and strolling- 

 Indians followed for a time no other business. The discovery 

 that the skins are not sufficiently firm and close-grained, to pre- 

 vent water or dampness long, put a stop to their general destruc- 

 tion, which had already become very apparent. The leather 

 prepared from these skins was handsome and very pliant, exhi- 

 biting all the regular lozenges of the scales, and able to receive 

 the highest degree of polish and finishing. 



The usual motion of the alligator, when on land, is slow and 



