138 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



fishes which they had snapped off lay floating around on the 

 dark waters. A rifle bullet was now and then sent through 

 the eye of one of the largest, which, with a tremendous splash 

 of its tail expired. One morning we saw a monstrous fellow 

 lying on the shore. I was desirous of obtaining him to make 

 an accurate drawing of his head, and, accompanied by my as- 

 sistant and two of the sailors, proceeded cautiously towards him. 

 When within a few yards, one of us fired and sent through 

 his side an ounce ball, which tore open a hole large enough 

 to receive a man's hand. He slowly raised his head, bent 

 himself upwards, opened his huge jaws, swung his tail to and 

 fro, rose on his legs, blew in a frightful manner, and fell to 

 the earth. My assistant leaped on shore, and contrary to 

 my injunctions, caught hold of the animal's tail, when the 

 alligator, awakening from his trance, with a last effort crawled 

 slowly towards the water, and plunged heavily into it. Had 

 he thought of once flourishing his tremendous weapon there 

 might have been an end of his assailant's life, but he for- 

 funately went in peace to his grave, where we left him, as 

 the water was too deep. The same morning, another of equal 

 size was observed swimming directly for the bows of our 

 vessel, attracted by the gentle rippling of the water there. 

 One of the officers, who had watched him, fired and scattered 

 his brain through the air, when he tumbled and rolled at a 

 fearful rate, blowing all the while most furiously. The river 

 was bloody for yards around, but although the monster passed 

 close by the vessel, we could not secure him, and after awhile 

 he sunk to the bottom. 



Early one morning I hired a boat and two men, with the 

 view of returning to St. Augustine by a short cut. Our 

 baggage being placed on board, I bade adieu to the officers, 

 and off we started. About four in the afternoon we arrived 

 at the short cut, forty miles distant from our point of de- 

 parture, and where we had expected to procure a wagon, but 

 were disappointed. So we laid our things on the bank, and, 



