NORTH AMERICA,, 
time avoid railing fufpicions of my veracity. Should 
I fay, that the river (in this place) from Ihore to 
more, and perhaps near half a mile above and be. 
low me, appeared to be one folid bank of fim, of 
various kinds, pulhing through this narrow pafs of 
St. Juan's into the little lake, on their return down 
the river, and that the alligators were in fuch in- 
credible numbers, and fo clofe together from more 
to ihore, that it would have been eafy to have 
walked acrofs on their heads, had the animals been 
harmlefs ? What exprefHons can fufficiently declare 
the mocking fcene that for fome minutes conti- 
nued, whilft this mighty army of fim were forcing 
the pafs ? During this attempt, thoufands, I may 
fay hundreds of thoufands of them were caught 
and fwallowed by the devouring alligators. I have 
feen an alligator take up out of the water feveral 
great nfh at a time, and juft fqueeze them betwixt 
his jaws, while the tails of the great trout flapped 
about his eyes and lips, ere he had fwallowed them. 
The horrid noife of their clofmg jaws, their plung- 
ing amidft the broken banks of fim, and rifmg 
with their prey fome feet upright above the water, 
the floods of water and blood rufhing out of their 
mouths, and the clouds of vapour ifTuing from their 
wide noftrils, were truly frightful. This fcene con- 
tinued at intervals during the night, as the fim 
came to the pafs. After this fight, mocking and 
tremendous as it was, I found myfelf fomewhat ea- 
fier and more reconciled to my fituation ; being 
convinced that their extraordinary affemblage here 
was owing to this annual feaft of fim ; and that 
they were fo well employed in their own element, 
that I had little occafion to fear their paying me a 
vifit 
It 
