703 



illness. A Guaykeri Indian from the island de 

 la Margaretta went to anchor his canoe in a 

 cove, where there were not three feet of water. 

 A very fierce crocodile, that habitually haunted 

 that spot, seized him by the leg", and withdrew 

 from the shore remaining on the surface of the 

 water. The cries of the Indian drew together a 

 crowd of spectators. This unfortunate man was 

 first seen seeking with astonishing courage for a 

 knife in the pocket of his pantaloons. Not being 

 able to find it, he seized the head of the crocodile, 

 and thrust his fingers into it's eyes. No man in 

 the hot regions of America is ignorant, that this 

 carnivorous reptile, covered with a buckler of 

 hard and dry scales, is extremely sensible in the 

 only parts of his body which are soft and unpro- 

 tected, such as the eyes, the hollow underneath 

 the shoulders, the nostrils, and beneath the lower 

 jaw, where there are two glands of musk. The 

 Guaykeri Indian had recourse to the same means 

 which saved the Negro of Mungo Park, and the 

 girl of Uritucu, whom I have mentioned above * : 

 but he was less fortunate than they had been, 

 for the crocodile did not open it's jaws, and lose 

 hold of it's prey. The animal yielding to the 

 pain plunged to the bottom of the river ; and* 

 after having drowned the Indian, came up to the 

 surface of the water, dragging the dead body ta 



* Chap, xviii, vol. iv, p. 423. 



