98 ALLIGATORS. 



these tormenting plagues should be effec- 

 tually excluded. However, though cleared 

 of musquitoes, I could not afterwards sleep, 

 since our fire was out, and our alligator 

 friends so near. 



7th. Rose at four o'clock, not much re- 

 freshed. Saw the track of an alligator with- 

 in ten yards of our bed, and at thirty yards 

 distance saw five together. Men sleeping 

 on mats on the beach, under their toldos, 

 have been carried off by these gentry, but 

 we have not heard of this accident occurring 

 to any who have slept in beds, — which was 

 our only consolation, knowing that, in all 

 probability the same scene would so often 

 occur to us. At the first village we bought 

 some tolerably good river-fish called boca- 

 chicas. 



Breakfasted in the champan ; the post- 

 office canoe passed us here, going down 



