ELEMENTS OF BARTRAM'S LANDSCAPE 93 



Bartram's Travels, lately published," "' and The Wonderful 

 Magazine carried a " Surprising Account of American Croco- 

 diles," ^^ also copied from Bartram." The implied exception 

 taken by The Monthly Review to Bartram's indiscriminate use 

 of the terms " crocodile " and " alligator " indicates a careless 

 reading of Bartram, who, in a footnote stated: " I have made 

 use of the terms crocodile and alligator indiscriminately for this 

 animal, alligator being the country name " (Travels, 90) . This 

 footnote recalls Lawson's statement: " The allegator is the same 

 as the Crocodile, and differs only in name." ^° 



Bartram devotes ten pages to the alligator. He introduces 

 "' that horrid animal " at a dramatic moment, 



Behold him rushing forth from the flags and reeds. His enormous 

 body swells. His plaited tail brandished high, floats upon the lake. 

 The waters like a cataract descend from his opening jaws. Clouds of 

 smoke issue from his dilated nostrils. The earth trembles with his 

 thunder. When immediately from the opposite coast of the lagoon, 

 emerges from the deep his rival champion. They suddenly dart upon 

 each other. The boiling surface of the lake marks their rapid course, 

 and a terrific conflict commences (p. 118). 



There follow first a vivid description of the conflict, then of 

 Bartram's own battle with the alligators, of their " incredible 

 loud and terrific " roar, which kept him awake at night, and 

 finally of their nests. Scientists as well as literary reviewers have 

 criticized Bartram's " luxuriant and poetical language." Clarke 

 considered his account " written with such spirit and enthusiasm 

 as to carry the author beyond the limits of simple and accurate 

 statement." ^^ True called it " most evident hyperbole," "- and 



" Anthologia Htbernica, I, 259-260. 



'^^The Wonderful Magazine, IV (1793-1794), 358. 



^° For the last two pieces of information I am indebted to Prof. Lowes. See 

 Road to Xanadu, p. 452. 



="' Op. cit., p. 74. 



'^ F. S. Clarke, "" The Habits and Embryology of the American Alligator," 

 Journal of Morphology, V (1891), 181-214. 



" F. W. True, " The Fisheries and Fishery Industries of the United States," 

 The Useful Aquatic Reptiles and Batrachians of the United States, Part 2, pp. 

 137-162. Washington, 1884. 



