414 EXCURSIONS AROUND EGA 



during the transit. On reaching the village, we took the 

 animal into the middle of the green, in front of the church, 

 where the dogs were congregated, and there gave him his 

 liberty, two of us arming ourselves with long poles to 

 intercept him if he should make for the water, and the 

 others exciting the dogs. The alligator showed great 

 terror, although the dogs could not be made to advance, 

 and made off at the top of its speed for the water, waddling 

 like a duck. We tried to keep him back with the poles, 

 but he became enraged, and seizing the end of the one I 

 held, in his jaws, nearly wrenched it from my grasp. We 

 were obliged, at length, to kill him to prevent his escape. 



These little incidents show the timidity or cowardice 

 of the alligator. He never attacks man when his in- 

 tended victim is on his guard : but he is cunning enough 

 to know when he may do this with impunity : of this we 

 liad proof at Cai9ara, a few days afterwards. The river 

 had sunk to a very low point, so that the port and bathing- 

 place of the village now lay at the foot of a long sloping 

 bank, and a large cayman made his appearance in the 

 shallow and muddy water. We were all obliged to be 

 very careful in taking our bath ; most of the people simply 

 using a calabash, pouring the water over themselves 

 whilst standing on the brink. A large trading canoe, 

 belonging to a Barra merchant named Soares, arrived 

 at this time, and the Indian crew, as usual, spent the first 

 da3^ or two after their coming in port, in drunkenness and 

 debauchery ashore. One of the men, during the greatest 

 heat of the day when almost every one was enjoying his 

 afternoon's nap, took it into his head whilst in a tipsy 

 state to go down alone to bathe. He was seen only by 

 the Juiz de Paz, a feeble old man who was lying in his 

 hammock, in the open verandah at the rear of his house 

 on the top of the bank, and who shouted to the besotted 

 Indian to beware of the alligator. Before he could repeat 

 his warning, the man stumbled, and a pair of gaping jaws, 

 appearing suddenly above the surface, seized him round 

 the waist and drew him under the water. A cry of agony 

 * Ai Jesus ! ' was the last sign made by the wretched 

 victim. The village was aroused : the young men with 

 praiseworthy readiness seized their harpoons and hurried 

 down to the bank ; but of course it was too late, a winding 

 track of blood on the surface of the water, was all that 

 could be seen. They embarked, however, in montarias. 



