CONTENTS OF ITS STOMACH. 57 



from the wood-cut; and their power of holding 

 will be shewn in the description accompanying. 

 The view annexed represents the moment when the 

 alligator received the first shot on shore ; the sin- 

 gular character of Sea Range is also shewn, and 

 the small whirlwinds I have alluded to, as having 

 the appearance of smoke. 



All the alligator's stomach contained was about 

 fourteen pounds of pebbles, some of them measuring 

 four inches in diameter. We were some time skin- 

 ning the monster, and after securing a little of the best 

 part of the flesh for eating,* proceeded on our way. 

 The river, as I have already said, ran along the base 

 of Sea Range for some distance, when it turned 

 off across the plain in a south-east direction. The 

 high land quite overlooked the stream, and enhanced 

 the picturesque effect of the trees that rose in rich 

 green masses on the banks, which were here only 

 about half a mile apart. The depth, however, was 

 two fathoms, double what it had been for some dis- 

 tance before. We had now fairly turned our backs 

 on Sea Range, and were crossing the plains in a 

 south-east direction. On the part of the Victoria we 

 had passed were a few white ducks, with black or 

 very dark brown wings. I noticed that the bill 

 and legs were of a very pale pink, and they had a 

 pale yellow eye. They were evidently the same 



* The writer supped off alligator steaks, and informs the 

 reader that the meat is by no means bad, and has a white ap- 

 pearance like veal. 



