of North Carolina. 133 



slipt my Memory; besides what the Mountainous parts of 

 this Land may hereafter lay open to our View ; for whoever 

 consider what a small part of this large Province is inhab- 

 ited at present, canH imagine but there will still be gi*eater 

 Discoveries made, by Time and Industry, when the back 

 parts of this Country, and near the Mountains are once set- 

 tled; for the farther we Travel Westward, we meet greater 

 Differences in the Soil, Air, Weather, growth of Vegetables, 

 and several Animals, which we at present are intire Strangers 

 to ; only what little Account we have from the Indians, so 

 that no doubt every Age will make new Discoveries. 



The Alligators are Amphibious Creatures, living both upon 

 Land and Water, and by the best Description I can learn con- 

 cerning the Crocodile, I see little or no difference between 

 them, only in the Name ; this being the receiv'd Opinion of 

 the I^aturalists, that it is no other than a Crocodile not ar- 

 rivM to it's full growth. They are a large Creature with 

 four Feet, which are like a Bears, except that they are covered 

 with Scales, instead of Hair, the Claws are sharp and the 

 Tail long, with Fins upon it. They have a large broad Head 

 and wide Mouth, the Snout is like a Swines, and the Teeth, 

 which are exceeding sharp, meet within each other like the 

 Edges of two Saws. The Tails of these Animals are near as 

 long as the whole Body, and the same is very rough and 

 armed with a hard Skin. Their haunts are chiefly between 

 the Freshes and Salt Waters. They make their Dwellings in 

 the Banks on the Eiver-sides, a great way under Ground, the 

 entrance whereof is generally two or three Foot under Water, 

 which rises gradually as they burrow under Ground, 'till it 

 rises considerably above the surface of the Water, where they 

 lie dry all the Winter, at which Season they never appear 

 abroad, but as it is supposed, sleep all that time without any 



manner 



