228 TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENCi^. 



ing ashore. The electric eels were 

 now perfectly aroused and scared 

 from the tremendous noise of the 

 stampeding animals and the yell- 

 ing and dancing of the Indians, 

 but they defended themselves by 

 discharging their electric batteries 

 and it seemed for a while they 

 would hold the ground. Some of 

 the horses however, succumbed to 

 the severe electric shocks adminis- 



two of the horses w^re drowned, 

 and Humboldt thought that , all 

 the horses used for this novel fish- 

 ing would finally succumb, but 

 gradually the even struggle for 

 existence and supremacy ceased, 

 and the electric eels dispersed. 

 "The eels, the Indians explained, 

 need a long rest now and abun- 

 dant nourishment to gain strength 

 again, which had been lost by 



Fishing Along the Romantic San Antonio River Below Berg's Mill 



tered to them against their bellies 

 and sank under the water. Others, 

 wild with fear, snorting terribly, 

 stood up and tried to escape, but 

 the Indians managed always to 

 drive them back into the eel pond 

 and it was seldom that a horse 

 escaped the eagle-eye and dex- 

 terity of the Indians and made his 

 escaped. Some of the animals that 

 had escape trembled with fear and 

 pain and threw themselves on the 

 sandy soil. 



"During the first five minutes 



unloading their electric organs. 

 The Indians also declared that if 

 the animals are driven two days 

 in succession into the swampy, eel 

 pond not one would succumb after 

 the second day as they becaime 

 immune against the shocks." 



The near environments of San 

 Antonio up to the Guadalupe and 

 Medina rivers can boast of some 

 romantic fishing and general out- 

 ing places, such as are herein 

 vividly depicted. 



The above scenic view of a fish- 



