128 
TRAVELS IN 
fonorous rattling in the throat for near a minute* 
but it is immediately forced out again through his 
mouth and noftrils, with a loud noife, brandifhing 
his tail in the air, and the vapour afcending from his 
noftrils like lmoke. At other times, when fwollen 
to an extent ready to bund, his head and tail lifted 
up, he fpins or twirls round, on the furface of the 
water. He a£ts his part like an Indian chief when 
rehearfing his feats of war ; and then retiring, the 
exhibition is continued by others who dare to ftep 
forth, and ftrive to excel each other, to gain the 
attention of the favourite female. 
Having gratified my curiofity at this general breed- 
ing-place and nurfery of crocodiles, I continued 
my voyage up the river without being greatly dif- 
turbed by them. In my way I obferved ifiets or float- 
ing fields of the bright green Pifiia, decorated with 
other amphibious plants, as Senecio Jacobea, Per- 
jficaria amphibia, Coreopfis bidens, Hydrocotyle flui- 
tans, and many others of lefs note. 
The fwamps on the banks and ifiands of the river 
are generally three or four feet above the furface 
of the water, and very level; the timber large and 
growing thinly, more fo than what is obferved to be 
in the fwamps below lake George ; the black rich 
earth is covered with moderately tall, and very fuc- 
culent tender grafs, which when chewed is fweet and 
agreeable to the tafte, fornewhat like young fugar- 
cane : it is a jointed decumbent grafs, fending out 
radiculae at the joints into the earth, and fo fpreads 
itfelf, by creeping over its furface. 
The large timber trees, which pofifefs the low lands, 
are Acer rubrum, Ac. negundoyAc. glaucum, Ulrhus 
fy Ivatica, Fraxinus excelfior, Frax, aquatica, Ulmus 
fuberifer. 
