THE ALLIGATOR OF THE ANTILLES. 



477 



that the season of flowers, and seed-time and harvest, are a perpetual 

 spring-tide and summer, expressly excepts from its scenes all ravenous 

 animals and noisome reptiles. te There is no province," says he, " nor 

 any region, which is more notable for the majesty of mountains, the 

 fruitfulness of vales, the pleasantness of hills, the delectableness of 

 plains, with abundance of fair rivers running through them. There 

 never was any noisome animal found in it, nor yet any ravening four- 

 footed beast, but all things blessed and fortunate." The Indians, I 

 take it, must have made war on these gigantic reptiles, and they thus 

 became not so obtrusive as at present ; yet in these marshes they must 

 have been always remarkable. I saw the cows and horses feeding in 

 the sedges in which they prowled, without any apprehension of danger, 

 though I know the nature of this animal to be fierce and mischievous ; 

 but like all the cold-blooded reptiles, it requires to be roused either by 

 a sense of danger, or the impulse of hunger, to an attack. In the calm, 

 long-enduring quality of its nature, the alligator is really a timid 

 animal. With the advantage of an impervious armour, in its hard 

 impenetrable covering of scales, strength of limb, commanding shelter 

 of the water, and jaws, whose clasp is an inextricable hold, it fears to 

 attack an animal it is unused to devour. The inhabitants, aware of its 

 timidity, fearlessly cross the stream, even when numbers are swimming 

 around ; but this is not done without some ruse. The alligator, they 

 say, is greedily partial to dogs, and surprises themj'often when they 

 come to drink at the river. The voice of the dog will always draw 

 them away from an object when prowling. Those who would cross 

 the river without any risk from their attacks, send a scout down the 

 stream to imitate the canine bark, yelp, or howl, when away swim the 

 alligators for their prey, leaving an unmolested ford to the traveller 

 higher up. Instinct has taught the dog to secure himself by a similar 

 expedient. When it has to traverse a stretch of water, for the Hatero's* 

 dog wanders alone a good deal, it boldly goes some distance down the 

 stream, and howls and barks. On perceiving the alligators congregating 

 in eager cupidity to the spot, it creeps gently along the banks higher 

 up, and swims over the water without much fear of being pursued. 



This fact is universally asserted, and is unquestionably true, but I 

 doubt the conclusion. The well known habit of the alligator, never 

 to eat its food until in a state of putridity, negatives the supposition 

 that it has any particular choice in the flesh of its victim. The fish it 



Hatero, — the colonial Spanish for a herdsman or breeder of cattle. 



