146 



To finally despatcli it and guard against any dangerous 

 return to life on its part, I drove my long Boston bowie knife 

 deep into both its eyes, and thought I had made sure that it 

 must be thoroughly lifeless by this time, and that it certainly 

 could never see its way out any more. 



We had reached the last bend of the river when all of a 

 sudden we heard a loud snapping of the alligator's tremendous 

 jaws, and to the terror of all on board, particularly of Captain 

 Blunt who was forward right over the brute's snout, and 

 ready to jump in the water, we saw the animal turn round 

 and making for the stern sheets, fiercely snapping its jaws all 

 the time, right and left, scramble over the gunwale and slide 

 into the water, to our immense relief. 



When we related the incident, on our return home, of 

 course, everyone took it as a mere joke »nd jeered us about our 

 wonderful " yarn." 



The event appeared certainly incredible, but I easily recon- 

 ciled myself to the fact, when I remembered having seen 

 Professor Boitard, in his lectures at the Jardin d*s Plantes de 

 Paris, completely scoop out all the brain substance from the 

 craniums of some Greek turtles, which nevertheless when 

 replaced in water, for some time swam about almost apparently 

 unconscious of the serious operation performed on them. 



I remembered, also, how often when school -boys we used to 

 cut off the heads of common flies which would still go on flying 

 about for a few minutes. 



Our alligators, or babiches differ in many points from the 

 much more powerful and ferocious crocodiles of the Orinoco and 

 its tributaries. 



1 recollect, many years ago, my old friend Miguel Pena 

 relating to me the following horrid scene, which he witnessed 

 from the shore of one of the Orinoco's caiios. 



A black sailor and a little boy had been left alone on board 

 of a schocmer at anchor in the stream, when the brutal sailor ill 

 treated and beat the poor boy to such an extent that the dis- 

 tressed child jumped overboard. Scarcely had the splash of his 

 body in the water been heard, than a huge crocodile or caiman 

 suddenly appeared, seized his victim, Avho with a heart. rtnding 

 shriek was instantly carried out of sight by the monster. 



For hours an earnest and careful search was made all round 

 the surrounding banks for his body, but no trace of it could 

 ever be found, 



I may remarii here, that if these curious sauriaus are 

 known to be fond of human flesh, they, in their turn, are not 

 Tfithout oftering an object to the appetite of human beings, 



