52 



THE CAYMAN. 



This formidable animal, being able tb exist 

 either in water or on the land, may be styled 

 amphibious to the fullest extent of the word. 

 Master Swainson, notwithstanding his "com- 

 passion for the poor animals," and his interested 

 wish to make his readers believe that they are 

 of a timid nature, would have found himself 

 awkwardly situated had he been in my position 

 when I attacked the cayman mentioned in the 

 Wanderings ; — the Indians positively refusing 

 to drag it out of the water, until I had placed 

 myself betwixt them and danger. 



I once saw a cayman in the Oronoque thirty 

 feet in length, and another of the same size in 

 the Essequibo. This animal is an inhabitant 

 of the fresh waters, although occasionally he 

 may be found in the mouths of rivers where the 

 water is salt ; but when this occurs we may 

 conclude to a certainty, that he has been carried 

 down the descending flood against his will. 



Whilst I was in Guiana a cayman was killed 

 in the salt water of the Essequibo, just opposite 

 to the island of Waakenham. 



"We formerly learned from our nursery books 

 that animals of the crocodile family have skins 

 hard enough to turn a musket-ball. This 



