Constantine republican. [volume] (Constantine, Mich.) 1836-1838, 1836-12-07

The alligator in Florida. Speaking of
aligators, reminds me of a difficulty in
which native, perhaps moi very sober at
the time, got himself entangled withal, near
where we stopped.one night to sleep, just
below Lake George. He saw an alligator
asleep on the bank Of the river, and his evil
spirit tempted him to catch him alive; SO he
padded up very softly, and slipped moose
over the rough, Jagged tail of Satan's re-
preventative, the other end being fast to the
staple in the bow Of the canoe. He had
no sooner performed this exploit than he
backed up, and by jerk, gave the old gen.
tlcman hint that he was there, and that
they might as well be moving. Although
the alligator sleeps rather soundly, he does
not require many rolngs or halloas to
awaken him, after his eyes are once open,
so as to see danger, but he makes the best
Of his way back to deep water, tumbling
and laundering forward any how, if he can
only set his claws in the muddy bottom Of
the river. So with ourgamc. The cracker
soon discovered that he had caught Tar
tar; and when he found the rate at which
he was going, he began heartily to wish that
he was loose again for the alligator flowed
hm-any where but where he wished to go
like mad. And worse than all, he had
no knife with him to cut the fellow loose,
and the rope was knotted hard, and SO
tightly drawn through the staple, that he
could not unite il. Thus he was dragged
out into the lake, and back again under the
overhanging branches of the trees, which
scraped and scratched him as badly as an
Indian boy justly bled by his mother-wllo,
be il understood, fastens two or more sharp
fish.teeth through piece Of wood, like a
carpenters scribe, and thus scores her sick
child, when he wants bleeding--not very
mild method by the way; but our hero had
sample of IT, for 60 he must, under scrag-
gy live-oak limbs; as well as any others he
might encounter. He was lowed thus all
day until he was sober, and his tormentor
came to the conclusion that it was not best
to tire himself to death. Indeed there is
hardly an animal or reptile more tenacious
Of life than the very one that was thus TAX
ing the poor cracker a sailing. He did
not know what TO debut at last he did that,
which, if thought Of earlier, would have rid
him of all trouble from excess of spirit
He broke his bottle, and then began to saw
the rope off with the sharp edges of the
glass. At length he got loose, and padded
home minus his rope and bottle, and Plus a
good long tow, and few spare scratches.
was very anxious, myself, to have one Of
these horses tow me, but should not have
given him his own way in this manner, but
would have had ring in his nose, and
reins; for do not see why an alligator, or
shark, or porpoise, should not be set to
work as well as horse or mule. got
rope in the mouth of one fellow of about
IA feet in length, one day, but he broke the
line and escaped. also sat large traps,
like rat-traps, which have adoorto fall when
the vermin are in, bui they would moi go in!
II rlloy had, ] should have had very good
story TO tell. and many a good ride. It
would be better than steam for small
boat, and they might be fed and kept as
well as horse, and as to the reasonable.
ness of the thing, il is better 10 drive alliga-
tors or sharks, than to be driven by them,
(humanly speaking,) as ninety mine hun.
dredths of mankind at present are by their
fellow Observation-Disclosures for Sept.