THE CAYMAN. 



53 



requires explanation. No part of the cayman's 

 body is absolutely proof against a musket-ball. 

 Let it be recollected, that in shooting at one 

 of these reptiles, we stand invariably above it, 

 so that the ball from our gun, after striking the 

 animal obliquely, flies off, and merely leaves a 

 contusion. Although the back is very hard, 

 the sides are comparatively tender, and can be 

 easily pierced through with an ordinary pen- 

 knife. The tail is not near so hard as the back, 

 and, singular to tell, the tail of the smaller kind, 

 about five feet in length, is much stronger than 

 that of the larger species. 



In a creek up the river Demerara, I could 

 any day see an adult cayman of this smaller 

 species. It had chosen for its place of abode 

 a kind x)f recess amongst the flooded trees 

 bordering on the creek ; and it was so awake 

 to danger, that I could not get a shot at it. 

 After trying various and unsuccessful schemes 

 to capture it, I took a curial at last just large 

 enough to hold two people. I squatted in the 

 prow, and Daddy Quashi steered it without 

 making any stir in the water. Having cocked 

 my gun, and placed it against my shoulder in 

 a position ready to fire, the curial was allowed 



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