Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-10-08

SIbic OF their DANGER Wnen theVSo "
the rivers to drink, and will ho}l and
bark till they have attracted thehtten-
ton of the lagartos at one placa and
then drop back and run to anther,
where they drink in hurry, and inn
mediately leave the water side; dher-
wise, as has been the case, an alligator
would seize on themby The nose, drag
them under the water, and drown and
eat them.
When the lagarto has once tasted
the flesh of ANIMALS, it will almost aban-
don the fish and retire principally on
shore. crossed the large plain OF Ba-
baoyo, where 1 saw living one buried,
except the head, in the clay, besides
the remains of several dead ones. On
inquiring how they came there, the
montubois, name given hereto the
peasantry, told me, that when the rains
fall in the mountains, great part OF this
savanna is inundated, at which time
the lagarros prowl about in search OF
the cattle remaining on the islands that
are then formed; and when the waters
retire, they are left embedded in the
clay, till the ensuing rain sets them at
liberty; they feed on flies in the way al
ready described, and can exist in this
manner for six or seven months. When
found in this state, the natives always
kill them; sometimes by piercing them
with lances between the fore-leg and the
body, the only visible part of the body
in which they are vulnerable; it they
be not prepared with lance, they col
lect wood, and kindle a fire as near to
the mouth Of the lagalto as they dare
venture, and burn him to death.
The natives sometimes divert them
selves in catching the lagartos alive;
they employ two methods, equally ter
rife and dangerous to spectator, at
first sight: both of these were exhibit
ed 10 Count Ruis, when we were at Ba-
baoyo, on our way to Quito A man
takes in his right hand truncheon,
called tolete-this is of hard wood,
about two feet long, having ball form
ed al each end, into which are fastened
two harpoons, and to the middle
Of this trurcheon plated thong is
fastened. The man takes this In his
hand, plunges into the river, and
holds il horizontally OH the surface OF
the water, grasping dead fowl with
the same hand, and swimming with
the other: he places himself in right
line with the lagarto, which is almost
sure to dart at the fowl-when this
happens, the trunchcon is placed in
vertical position, and at the moment
that the jaw of the lagarto is thrown
up, the tolete is thrust into the mouth,
so that when the jaw falls down again,
the two harpoons become fixed, and
the animal is dragged to the shore by
the cord fastened to the tolete. When
on shore the appearance OF the lagarto
is really most horrible; his enormous
jaw, propped up by the tolete, show
ing his large sharp teeth; his eyes pro-
iccting almost out of his head; the pale
red color of the feshy substance of his
under jaw, as well as that Of the roof
of his mouth; the iinpenetrablr armor
of scales which cover the body, with
the huge paws and tail, all contribute
to render the spectacle appalling; and
although one is perfectly aware that in
its present state il is harmless, yet it
is almost impossible to look on it with
out feeling what fear is. The natives
now surround the lagarto and bait it
like bull; holding before it any thing
that is red, at which i, runs, when the
man jumps on one side, and avoids be-
ing struck by it, while the animal con-
tinues to run forward ina straight line,
till checked by the thong which is fas-
tened to the tole,c. When tired of
,eazing the poor brute, they kill it by
,hrusting a lance down its body; unless
by accident it be thrown on its back.
when it may be pierced in any part Of
the body, which is soft and easily Pc
netrated.
The other method is, by taking
fowl in one hand and sharp knife in
the other; the man swims till he is di-
rectly opposite to the alligator, and at
the moment when il springs at the
fowl the man dives under the water,
leaving the fowl at the surface; he then
holds up the knife to the belly of the
animal, and cuts it open, when the al
ligator immediately rolls over on its
back, and is carried away by the
stream. Much has been said about the
surprising agility of some Of the Span
ish bull fighters, and l have often be-
held feats that astonished me; but this
diversion at Babaoyo, for so the natives
considered it, evinced more bravery
and agility than had ever before wit
messed. The teeth Of the alligator are
often taken from the jaws and yseq0e, os,
small finder boxes which are general
ly carried in the pocket for the pur-
pose Of lighting segars, are made from
them; they are beautifully white, and
equal to the finest ivory; some are four
inches long, and I have seen them most