164 



CENTRAL AMERICA. 



and the produce amounted to about twenty 

 fish, of from one to three pounds weight, but 

 not of any species I had seen in Europe. 

 The second pool was drawn in the same way, 

 though no doubt there was an alligator in 

 each, and the party then proceeded to the 

 next, which was larger and deeper than the 

 former. 



One bank was nearly perpendicular, but 

 with a good passage between it and the water, 

 . which was on that side deep ; the opposite 

 bank was flat and sandy, with a very gradual 

 deepening of the water; both above and below 

 the pool huge boulder stones, that in the rainy 

 season are covered with a raging torrent, al- 

 lowed the net to be carried round as usual, 

 and the two ends brought together to the 

 sandy beach. All hands then turned to drag 

 the net in, and the nature of the ground 

 allowed my horse and lasso to take one of the 

 ends, while the remainder of the party took 

 in the other : when the bag of the net had 

 arrived on the slope, there was a dead stop, 

 and the men whispered "lagarto" (alligator). 



Now, thought I, is the time to see the ope- 

 ration performed of taking him out of the 

 net ; but no man seemed to hesitate about 

 what to do, for the nearest one to the lasso 



