Ch.IX. south AMERICA, 187 



way above Guayaquil, the diftance will not admit their 

 Ijeing brought to that city. 



The increafe of fifh in this river is greatly hin- 

 dered by the prodigious numbers of alligators, an am- 

 phibious creature, living both in the rivers and the 

 adjacent plains, though it is not often known to go 

 far from the banks of the river. When tired with 

 fifhing, they leave the water, to baflc themfelves in the 

 fun, and then appear more like logs of half rotten 

 v/ood thrown alhore by the current, than living crea- 

 tures ; but upon perceiving any veffel near them, 

 they immediately throw themfelves into the water. 

 Some are of fo monflrous a fize, as to exceed five 

 yards in length. During the time they lie bafking on 

 the fhore, they keep their huge mouths wide open, till 

 filled with mofchitos, flies, and other infed:s, when 

 they fuddenly fliut their jaws and fw allow their prey. 

 Whatever may have been written with regard to tho- 

 fiercenefs and rapacity of this animal, I and all our 

 company know, from experience, they avoid a man; 

 and, on the approach of any one, immediately plunge 

 into the water. Its whole body is covered with fcales 

 impenetrable to a mufket ball, unlefs it happens to hit 

 them in the belly near the fore legs ; the only part 

 vulnerable^ 



The alligator is an oviparous creature. The fe- 

 male makes a large hole in the fand near the brink 

 of a river, and there depofits her eggs i which are as 

 white as thofe of a hen, but much more folid. She 

 generally lays about a hundred, continuing in the 

 |ame place till they are all depofited, which is about 

 a day or two. She then covers them with the fand 

 and, the better to conceal them, rolls herfelf not only 

 over her precious depofitum, but to a confiderable 

 diftance. After this precaution, (he returns to the 

 water, till natural inftindt informs her, that it is time 

 to deliver her young from their confinement ; when 

 flic comes to the fpot, followed by the male, and 



tearing 



