68 TRAVELS ON THE AMAZON. [September, 
there foi\ the night. All along the sandy shore, from 
Baiao to this place, are trailing prickly cassias, frequently 
forming an impenetrable barrier ; and, in places, there 
is a larger shrubby species, also prickly. The large- 
stemmed arums had now disappeared, and with them 
the ciganos. The next morning I went with our In- 
dian, Alexander, to visit a lake, about a mile through 
the woods. There was a small montaria, which would 
just hold two, in which we embarked to explore it, and 
shoot some birds. Alligators were very abundant, 
showing their heads every now and then above water. 
Alexander fired at one, which immediately disappeared, 
but soon came up again, half turned over, and with one 
leg out of water ; so we thought he was quite dead, and 
paddled up to secure him. I seized hold of the elevated 
claw, when — dash! splash! — over he turned, and dived 
down under our little boat, which he had half filled with 
water and nearly upset. Again he appeared at the sm:- 
face, and this time we poked him with a long stick, to 
see if he were really dead or shamming, when he again 
dived down and appeared no more. 
We went to the end of the lake, which was about a mile 
long, and then returned to the place where we had em- 
barked. I had shot a kingfisher, and was loading my 
gun, when Alexander shot at a small coot or rail, and 
having a large charge, the shock threw me off my balance, 
and to save myself I dropped my gun into the water and 
very nearly swamped the canoe. I thought my shoot- 
ing for this voyage was all over; but, luckily, the water 
was only three or four feet deep, and we soon hooked the 
gun up, I employed the rest of the morning in taking 
