1848.] 



CATCHING AN ALLIGATOR, 



47 



of us was ammunition and caxaga (rum), which Mr. Leavens 

 supplied them with, taking rubber in exchange. 



We walked about a mile through the forest to the Falls on 

 the igaripe. Black slaty rocks rose up at a high angle in the 

 bed of the brook, in irregular stratified masses, among which 

 the water foams and dashes for about a quarter of a mile : "a 

 splendid place for a sawmill," said Mr. Leavens. There were 

 no palms here, or any striking forms of tropical vegetation; 

 the mosses and small plants had nothing peculiar in them; 

 and, altogether, the place was very like many I have seen at 

 home. The depths of the virgin forest are solemn and grand, 

 but there is nothing in this country to surpass the beauty of our 

 river and woodland scenery. Here and there some exquisite 

 clump of plants covered with blossoms, or a huge tree overrun 

 with flowering climbers, strikes us as really tropical ; but this is 

 not the general character of the scenery. In the second-growth 

 woods, in the campos, and in many other places, there is 

 nothing to tell any one but a naturalist that he is out of Europe. 



Before leaving Troquera, I shot some goat-suckers, which 

 were flying about and settling upon the rocks in the hot 

 sunshine. We went on to Panaja, where there is a house 

 occupied by some seringa-gatherers, and stayed there for the 

 night. All along the sandy shore, from Baiao to this place, 

 are trailing prickly cassias, frequently forming an impenetrable 

 barrier ; and, in places, there is a large shrubby species, also 

 prickly. The large-stemmed arums had now disappeared, and 

 with them the ciganos. The next morning I went with our 

 Indian, Alexander, to visit a lake, about a mile through the 

 woods. There was a small montaria, which would just hold 

 two, in which we embarked to explore it, and shoot some 

 birds. Alligators were very abundant, showing their heads 

 every now and then above water. Alexander fired at one, 

 which immediately disappeared, but soon came up again, half 

 turned over, and with one leg out of water ; so we thought he 

 was quite dead, and paddled up to secure him. I seized hold 

 of the elevated claw, when — dash ! splash ! — over he turned, 

 and dived down under our little boat, which he had half filled 

 with water and nearly upset. Again he appeared at the 

 surface, and this time we poked him with a long stick, to see 

 if he were really dead or shamming, when he again dived 

 down and appeared no more. 



