The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-08-08
OBSERVATIONS ON THE CAYMANS
OR ALLIGATORS OF GUIANA.
BY JOHN HANCOCK, NJ. u.

The Cayman is in length eleven feet, and in
girth four feet. Teeth, thiriysix in the up
per jaw, and the same in the under, not cor
responding, but alternate j; fore legs, fifteen
inches long, with five toes, the two outer with.
out nails; hind legs % inches, with four
toes, three with strong nails, the outer ones
without any. The belly and under Jaw are
white /; the rest of the body black. Many cay
mans are killed for the sake of their teeth and
fat, which lies in deep oblong mass on each
side of the tail or along the posterior part of the
spine. The cayman runs fast in a straight d..
rection, but cannot turn quickly. 1t travels
far over land at night, 10 remove TO other wa
tiers, for which it insinctively directs its course
from great distances. In procuring its food, the
cayman has the sagacity to lay the Fortuga on
its back TO prevent its escape, if not hungry
The large tigers (jaguar) fall sometimes prey
to the cayinan in the water, but generally con-
quer on land. The strength of the tiger is so
great that he lacerates and lays open the side Of
the neck where the cayman is most vunera
BILE. The battle between them when they meet
on the land is said TO be tremendous. There
the jaguar makes the attack and the contrary,
If they meet in the water As the cayman lies
basking his scaly carcass in the sun, his enc.
my often encounters him on the contrary if
the tiger is seen swimming, the cayman plung
es in after him, and pulls him under the water
The caymans, however, usually watch their
prey in the water, submcrging the whole body
except tho snout and eyes,, which are promi-
nent.
terrible encounter ensnes when the cay.
man and camaiduor or great water serpent
meet. Their tumbng and splashing may be
heard at great distance The serpent, when
they meet on the brink Of the water, avoiding
the enormous jaws of the cayman, rapidly
throws itself about his body, is often uniwisted
during the struggle, lashIDg the water with
tremendous violence, and returns like lightning
to the grippe, till he completely squeezes his an
tagonist to death, unless the lyman succeeds
in getting his jaws to bear upon him, in which
case the battle is quickly decided Mr. James
Fraser, being in the river Wany, on a tour to
the Orinooko, in 1926, heard some loud noises,
seemingly like the discharge of great guns at a
distance and all his Indian attendants said it
was caused by the tail of the camndi thrashing
the water in a battle with the cayman.
The porpess is the natural enemy and entire
master Of the cayman, so much so, indeed, that
the natives enter the water without fear when
the toniua (porpess) is in sight. 1t attacks the
cayman wherever they meet. The cayman is
driven into the water by other enemies, as the
tiger; but is made TO scanper ashore by the
poIpess.
Two caymans in combat make dreadful
noise, standing up choppng together their
jaws, tumbllng down, and thrashing the water
with great violence.
An instance is related Of an Indian caught
by cayman at the Lake OF Marawareta pro.
curing his release by having the presence of
mind to stab the cayman in the eyes with a
knife, the water being shoal. This man@uvre
~ inculcated from their infancy
The cayman 1t is said, does not strike, as
generally supposed, with lis tail, but with lis
head, and that suddenly and with tremendous
force. The aligators do the same.
The cayman of Orinooko takes its prey both
on land and in the water indifferently. II can.
not, however, bear long exposure to the sun.
The caynan swallows stones in considerable
quantities Some think this is 10 satisfy hun
ger, others, TO assist digestion; while others
believe il arises from an instructive faculty t'
render the body specifically heavier, and Il
enable the snlpal to sink in The water.