ii8 NOTES OF A BOTANIST 
and more numerous ; they are chiefly quartz and a 
compact blue stone. . . . 
Coasting along a low shore, our men spied a 
small white alligator basking in the sun by the 
margin, and killed him with their lances. His 
stomach was distended by some food he had taken, 
and on piercing it, a snake's tail protruded. I laid 
hold on it and drew out the snake, which was 
closely coiled up ; it was still alive (!), though so 
much crushed below the head as to be unable 
to move away. It was a terrestrial species, not 
venomous — yellow with black spots on the back. 
The body thick, passing abruptly into a short 
slender tail — full 3 feet long, and its destroyer no 
more. Thus we go on preying on each other to 
the end of the chapter. This poor snake, while 
watching for frogs among the moist stones and 
roots, little dreamt he was about to serve for an 
alligator's meal ; nor the alligator, while devouring 
it, that he himself would soon be eaten up by 
Indians. 
May 16 [Sahcrday). — . . . The aspect of the 
river is unchanged, save that there is more rarely 
any low shore. We have passed some strong currents 
to-day, but the water is fortunately low. Beaches 
are now covered with large pebbles, and where we 
breakfasted it was like a mosaic pavement, stones 
of so many colours formed our seats and table. 
May 17 [Stmday). — Near 8 o'clock a.m. we spied 
a tapir a little ahead, making his way up-stream. 
On perceiving our approach he took to shore, 
where from a narrow margin rose a steep barranco, 
w^hich he was unable to ascend ; he therefore again 
