TRAVELS IM 
248 
made upon them; their various languages* cries* 
and fluttering, caufed an inexpreffible uproar, like a 
public fair or market in a populous trading city* 
when fuddenly furprifed by forne unexpected. cala- 
mitous event. 
About midnight, having fallen afleep, I was 
awakened and greatly furprifed at finding moil 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 monfler within a few* 
paces of the camp; when giving the alarm to the 
ref:, they readily came to his afiiftance, for it was 
a rare piece of fport. Some took fire-brands and 
cad: them at his head, whilft others formed javelins 
of faplings, pointed and hardened with fire ; thefe 
they thruft down his throat into his bowels, which 
caufed the monfler to roar and bellow hideoufly; 
but his flrength and fury werefo great, that he eafily 
wrenched or twilled them out of their hands, and 
wielding and brandiihing them about, kept his ene- 
mies at a diftaoce 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 diverfton and pleafure of ex- 
eerciiing their various inventions of torture; they 
at length however grew tired, and agreed in one 
opinion, that he had buffered fiifnciently ; and put 
an end to his exittence. This crocodile was about 
twelve feet in length : we fuppofed that he had 
been allured by the nfny fcent of our birds, and 
encouraged to undertake and purfue this hazardous 
adventure which coft him his life. This, with 
other inftances already recited, may be fufiicient tq 
prove the intrepidity and fubtilty of thofe voracious, 
formidable animals. 
We 
