308 THE ALLIGATOK. 



of Louisiana, on opening a plantation, found, after most 

 of the forest trees had been cleared off, that in tlie 

 centre of his land was a boggy piece of low soil nearly 

 twenty acres in extent. This place was singularly in- 

 fested with alligators. Amongst the first victims that 

 fell a prey to their rapacity were a number of hogs 

 and fine poultry. Next followed nearly all of a pack 

 of fine deer-hounds. 



It may easily be imagined that this last outrage was 

 not passed over with indifference. The leisure time of 

 every day was devoted to their extermination, till the 

 cold of winter rendered them torpid, and buried them 

 up in the mud. 



The following summer, as is usually the case, the 

 swamp, from the intense heat, contracted in its dimen- 

 sions; a number of artificial ditches drained off the 

 water, and left the alligators little else to live in than 

 mud, which was about the consistency of good mortar. 

 Still the alligators clung with singular tenacity to their 

 ancient homestead, as if perfectly conscious that the 

 coming fall would bring rain. 



While they were thus exposed, a general attack was 

 planned and carried into execution, and nearly every al- 

 ligator destroyed. It was a fearful and disgusting sight 

 to see them rolling about in the thick sediment, strik- 

 ing their immense jaws together in the agony of death. 



Dreadful to relate, the stench of these decaying bodies 

 in the hot sun soon produced an unthought of evil. 



