ALLIGATOR. 153 



CHAPTER IV. 



nahie. alligators. honda. — ^guaduas. 



— Bogota'. 



May 9th. Weighed shortly after day- 

 break, and left the two champans. I bought 

 a javelin, with which one of the bogas had 

 the day before killed an alligator, by darting- 

 it from a distance through his side whilst 

 sleeping, and pinning him to the ground. 

 This weapon is of very hard wood, and 

 when thrown with force, will pierce even 

 the hard scale of this animal's back. The 

 river decreasing, we slept on a sandy beach 

 without being attacked by the musquitoes ; 

 but a number of small ants, from the trunk 

 of a tree close to our beds, annoyed us 

 excessively. 



