145 



■which fell in the water within about 50 feet from the boat and 

 from the bank, a large alligator, as deranrely and coolly as his 

 brother of Oroponche, swam from the bank where he had been 

 quietly sunning himself, and in the same Avay dodging our 

 repeated shots, made for the wounded bird, dived under it, and 

 disappeared with it, perfectly unconcerned at our firing 

 opposition. 



The most curious incident however, in my long years of 

 alligator shooting occurred to me in the same year also i/n 

 the Caroni River. 



Young Lord M just from England, paid a tourist's 



visit to Trinidad Avhere he was the guest of Governor Keate, 

 having expressed his wish to have some alligator shooting, 

 His Excellency, as pretty usual on such occasions, asked me, to 

 act as his aide-de-camp, and take charge of an expedition with 

 the young nobleman in the Caroni river. 



Besides his noble guest, the Governor had also asked Capt. 

 Grattan Bushe (Inspector of Police) and two officers of the 

 Garrison to accompany the young Lord. 



We got a fine roomy bumboat, well stored of course with 

 prog and drinkables (amongst the latter the first samples of the 

 Hungarian " Voslaiier " wine) ever imfioried to Trinidad, and 



cpiite new to Lord M who swore he would never be 



without a stock of it in his cellar. 



Going up the river with the tide, and after shooting a few 

 small alligators, we at last, came upon the largest one I had 

 ever seen here, about 8 feet 9 inches long as we found out a little 

 later. In spite of my objections, I was given the privilege of 

 having a shot at it, and the rifle bullet hitting it in the left ear 

 went right through its head, and we got the beast into the 

 boat, to all appearances as well dead as could be. 



As it was very heavy and an incumbrance in the boat, at 

 about 9 am. we hung it with some lianes to a branch of a tree 

 overhanging the right bank of the river, Avith the intention of 

 taking it with us on our way back to town. 



We then proceeded on our shooting errand as far as Curepe 

 Estate, and having secured a few more alligators and enjoyed a 

 hearty breakfast, retraced our course so as not to miss the tide. 



At about 2.30 p.m. we took doAvn the hanging big fellow 

 and laid it at the bottom of the boat, with its head towards the 

 bows. 



We were jollily going down stream, still shooting a few 

 more alligators, when, on a small one being thrown into the 

 boat on the back of the large monster fell-jw, some one remarked 

 that he saw the latter slightly move, and that therefore it could 

 not be quite as dead as it seemed. 



