ALLIGATORS. 159 



called by the natives, caymanes bravos. 

 These creatures frequently attack women 

 who come down to the rivers to wash, or 

 to fill their vessels with water: one young 

 woman, near Narie, escaped the fangs of 

 one of these monsters by an effort of sin- 

 gular presence of mind. She had waded a 

 little way into the water, when the alli- 

 gator seized her by the thigh, and began 

 to drag her from the shore : she instantly 

 thrust her fingers into his eyes, the anguish 

 of which caused him immediately to let go 

 his prey, and thus she escaped with no 

 farther injury than a lacerated limb. Since 

 this, a melancholy instance of the ferocity 

 of these creatures has occurred, to which 

 a youthful countryman of our own fell a 

 victim. Whilst rashly bathing in the Mag- 

 dalena, contrary to the advice of his friends, 

 he was seized and devoured by an alligator. 

 When one of these caymanes bravos has ap- 

 peared in any part of the river, the natives 



