24$ 
^TRAVELS IN 
made upon them ; their various languages, cries, 
and fluttering caufed an inexprellible uproar, like a 
public fair or market in a populous trading city, 
when fuddenly iurprifed by fome unexpected cala- 
mitous event. 
About midnight, having fallen afleep, I was 
awakened and greatly furprifed at finding mod of 
my companions up in arms, and furioufly engaged 
with a large alligator but a few yards from me. 
One of our company, it feems, awoke in the 
night, and perceived the monfter within a few 
paces of the camp, when giving the alarm to the 
rdl, they readily came to his afliftance, for it was 
a rare piece of fport. Some took fire-brands and 
cafl them at his head, whilft others formed javelins 
of faplins, pointed and hardened with fire ; thefe 
they thruft down his throat into his bowels, which 
caufed the monfter to roar and bellow hideouily ; 
but his ftrength and fury were fo great, that he eafily 
wrenched or twifled them out of their hands, and 
wielding and brandifhiug them about, kept his ene- 
mies at a diflance for a time. Some were for put- 
ting an end to his life and fufferings with a rifle 
ball, but the majority thought this would too foon 
deprive them of the diverfion and pleafure of ex- 
ercifing their various inventions of torture : they 
at length however grew tired, and agreed in one 
opinion, that he had fullered fufficiently ; and put 
an end to his exiftence. This crocodile was about 
twelve feet in length : we fuppofed that he had 
been allured by the fifhy fcent of our birds, and 
encouraged to undertake and purfue this hazardous 
adventure which coft him his life. This, with 
ether inflances already recited, may be fufficient to 
prove the intrepidity and fubtilty of thofe voracious, 
formidable animals. 
We 
