SHOOTING ALLIGATORS BY TORCHLIGHT. 383 



waist in water, I placed myself under one of the many- 

 cypresses standing in the swamps, and awaited their 

 approach, as they swam about slowly in the glowing 

 mid-day heat, or sunned themselves on the bank. If 

 one came within twelve or fifteen yards, I was sure of 

 him. The best sport was when he was a great power- 

 ful fellow, and I pulled one way as he pulled the other. 

 But as standing in the terrible heat of the sun did 

 not suit me, I resolved to try torchlight, particularly as 

 many of the Creoles told me that no one had ever 

 attempted to shoot them by the light of a fire, it 

 being supposed that the alligator was bolder and more 

 dangerous at night. So, on the next evening, I went to 

 the place with rifle, fire-pan, harpoon, and kindlers. 

 The sight from the banks of the swamp was enchant- 

 ing, and made me endure even mosquito bites with 

 patience. The dark surface of the water, the immense 

 cypresses standing in it, their moss waving in the night 

 wind, the dark surrounding forest, the hooting of the 

 owls, the melancholy croak of the bull-frog, I had long 

 been accustomed to; but all in the water was wild 

 commotion, and, when holding the flame behind me, 

 the shadow of my head was cast upon the flood, 

 hundreds of glowing eyes shone from all parts of it 

 like balls of red-hot iron. As I had only one hand 

 free, I could not hold the rifle and harpoon at the 

 same time; so I fired at the head of the nearest, 

 dropped the rifle, seized the harpoon, darted it into 

 the animal at the distance of six or seven yards, and 

 drew it by the line to the bank. I had secured two 

 in this way, when I saw a pair of larger eyes coming 

 straight towards me; I fired as before, and darted 



