NORTH AMERICA. 
u 9 
who kept dofe after me ; and v/hen I flepped on 
(hore and turned about, in order to draw up my 
canoe, he ruilied up near my feet, and lay there for 
fome time, looking me in the face, his head and 
ihoulders out of water. I refolved he fhould pay 
for his temerity, and having a heavy load in my fu- 
fee, I ran to my camp, and returning with my piece, 
found him with his foot on the gunwale of the boat, 
in fearch of fifh. On my coming up he withdrew' 
fullenly and (lowly into the water, but ibon returned 
and placed himfelf in his former pofition, looking 
at me, and feeming neither fearful nor any way 
diflurbed. I foon difpatched him by lodging the 
contents of my gun in his head, and then proceeded 
to cleanfe and prepare my fifh for fupper ; and 
accordingly took them out of the boat, laid them 
down on the fand clofe to the water, and began to 
fcale them ; when, raifing my head, I faw before 
me, through the clear water, the head and (boul- 
ders of a very large alligator, moving (lowly towards 
me. I inftantiy ftepped back, when, with a fweep 
of his tail, he brufhed off feveral of my fifh. It 
was certainly mofl providential that I looked up at 
that inftant, as the monfler would probably, in lefs 
than a minute, have feized and dragged me into the 
river. This incredible boidnefs of the animal dis- 
turbed me greatly, fuppofing there could now be no 
reafonable fafety for me during the night, but by 
keeping continually on the watch : I therefore, as 
foon as I had prepared the fifh, proceeded to fe- 
cure myfelf and effedts in the befl manner 1 could. 
In the firfl place, I hauled my bark upon the 
fhore, almoft clear out of the water, to prevent 
their overfetting or finking her; after this, every 
moveable was taken out and carried to my camp, 
I 4 \vhich 
