22 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 



* * The people now dragged us about forty yards 

 on the sand; it was the first and last time I was 

 ever on a cayman's back. Should it be asked, how 

 I managed to keep my seat, I would answer — I 

 hunted some years with Lord Darlington's fox- 

 hounds. 



"After repeated attempts to regain his liberty, 

 the cayman gave in, and became tranquil through 

 exhaustion. I now managed to tie up his jaws, 

 and firmly secured his fore-feet in the position I 

 had held them. We had now another severe strug- 

 gle for superiority, but he was soon overcome, and 

 again remained quiet. Wliile some of the people 

 were pressing upon his head and shoulders, I 

 threw myself on his tail, and by keeping it down 

 to the sand, prevented him from kicking up an- 

 other dust. He was finally conveyed to the canoe, 

 and then to the place where we had suspended our 

 hammocks. There I cut his throat; and after 

 breakfast was over commenced the dissection." 



After his fourth journey Waterton occasionally 

 travelled on the Continent, but for the most part 

 resided at Walton Hall. In the park he made the 

 observations afterwards published as ''Essays on 

 Natural History," in three series, and since re- 

 printed, with his Life and Letters. 



Walton Hall is situated on an island sur- 

 rounded by its ancient moat, a lake of about five- 

 and-twenty acres in extent. From the shores of 

 the lake the land rises; parts of the slope, and 

 nearly all the highest part, being covered with 

 wood. 



In one wood there was a large heronry, in an- 

 other a rookery. Several hollow trees were 



