Chap. IV. 
ALLIGATORS. 
265 
The next day we again beat the pool. Although we 
had proof of there being a great number of turtles 
yet remaining, we had very poor success. The old 
Indians told us it would be so, for the turtles were " la- 
dino" (cunning), and would take no notice of the beating 
a second day. When the net was formed into a circle, 
and the men had jumped in^ an alligator was found to be 
inclosed. No one was alarmed, the only fear expressed 
being that the imprisoned beast would tear the net. 
First one shouted, " I have touched his head;" then 
another, he has scratched my leg one of the men, ♦ 
a lanky Miranha, was thrown off his balance, and then 
there was no end to the laughter and shouting. At last 
a youth of about fourteen years of age, on my calling to 
him, from the bank, to do so, seized the reptile by the 
tail, and held him tightly until, a little resistance being 
overcome, he was able to bring it ashore. The net was 
opened, and the boy slowly dragged the dangerous but 
cowardly beast to land through the muddy water, a dis- 
tance of about a hundred yards. Meantime, I had cut 
a strong pole from a tree, and as soon as the alligator 
was drawn to solid ground, gave him a smart rap 
with it on the crown of his head, which killed him 
instantly. It was a good-sized individual ; the jaws 
being considerably more than a foot long, and fully 
capable of snapping a man's leg in twain. The species 
was the large cayman, the Jacare-uassu of the Amazo- 
nian Indians (Jacare nigra). 
On the third day we sent our men in the boats to 
net turtles in another larger pool, about five miles fur- 
ther down the river, and on the fourth returned to Ega. 
