356 AUDUBON 



ounce ball which tore open a hole large enough to receive 

 a man's hand. He slowly raised his head, bent himself 

 upwards, opened his huge jaws, swung his tail to and fro, 

 rose on his legs, blew in a frightful manner, and fell to the 

 earth. My assistant leaped on shore, and, contrary to 

 my injunctions, caught hold of the animal's tail, when 

 the alligator, awakening from its trance, with a last effort 

 crawled slowly towards the water, and plunged heavily 

 into it. Had he thought of once flourishing his tremen- 

 dous weapon, there might have been an end of his assail- 

 ant's life, but he fortunately went in peace to his grave, 

 where we left him, as the water was too deep. The same 

 morning, another of equal size was observed swimming 

 directly for the bows of our vessel, attracted by the gentle 

 rippling of the water there. One of the officers, who had 

 watched him, fired, and scattered his brain through the air, 

 when he tumbled and rolled at a fearful rate, blowing all 

 the while most furiously. The river was bloody for yards 

 around, but although the monster passed close by the 

 vessel, we could not secure him, and after a while he 

 sunk to the bottom. 



Early one morning, I hired a boat and two men, with 

 the view of returning to St. Augustine by a short-cut. 

 Our baggage being placed on board, I bade adieu to the 

 officers, and off we started. About four in the afternoon 

 we arrived at the short-cut, forty miles distant from our 

 point of departure, and where we had expected to procure 

 a wagon, but were disappointed. So we laid our things 

 on the bank, and leaving one of my assistants to look after 

 them, I set out accompanied by the other and my New- 

 foundland dog. We had eighteen miles to go; and as the 

 sun was only two hours high, we struck off at a good rate. 

 Presently we entered a pine-barren. The country was as 

 level as a floor; our path, although narrow, was well- 

 beaten, having been used by the Seminole Indians for 

 ages, and the weather was calm and beautiful. Now and 



