Litchfield enquirer., 1855-02-15
THH IIUxTE1s's FEAST.

Cooty EtsCo tikO oPhAN oSs S0hb of thrilling adventure he had on one of our wild Western rivers While in search of the scarlet ibis, his boat foated away and left him on barren island. He tells his story thus:
 4 lay in state of stupor, almost uncon- scious, how long, know not; but many hours, am certain. I knew this by the sun it was going down when l awoke, if may so term the recovery of my stricken senses. l was aroused by strange cir cumstance was surrounded by dark ob- jects of hideous shape and hue-feptiles they were. They had been befara my ayes foF some time. but had not seen them. had only sort of dreamy consciousness of their presence; but heard them at length |: my ear was in better tune, and the strange noises they uttered reached my intellect. It seemed like the blowing of great bellows, with now and then note harder and louder like the roaring of bull. This startled me, and l looked up and bent my eyes upon the objects they were forms of the erocodiltde, the giant lizards-they were alligators.- Huge ones they were, some of them; and many were they in number-a hundred at least were crawling over the islet, before, behind, and on all sides around me. Their long gaunt jaws and channelled shouts pro- jected forward as almost to touch my body; and their eyes, usually leaden, seemed now to glare. Impelled by this new danger, sprang to my feet, when, recognizing the upright form of man, the reptiles scu.tled of, and plunging hurriedly into the lake hid their hdeous bodies under the water.
 The incident in some measure revived me. saw that was not alone there was com pany even in the crocodies. l gradually became more myself, and began to reflect with some degree of coolness on the circum- stances that surrounded me. My eyes wan Tered over the islet; every inch of it came under my glance; every object upon il was scruiinized: the moulted feathers of wild fowl, the pieces of sand, the fresh water muscles (unias) s,rewed upon the beach, all were examined. Still the barren answer, no means of escape.
 The islet was but the head of a sand-bar, formed by the eddy, perhaps gathered to- gether within the year. Itwas bare of her bage, with the exception of few tufts of grass. There was neither tree nor bush up- on it; not stick. A raft, indeed! There was not wood enough 10 make raft tha, would have noated q frog. The idea of a raft was but briefly entertained; such tho't had certainly crossed my mind, but single glance round the islet dispelled it before it had taken shape. paced my prison from end to end 1; from side 10 side l walked it over. I Itried the waters depth; on all sides l sounded it, wading recklessly in; every where it deepened rapidly as l advanced. Three lengths of myself from the islets edge, and was up to my neck. The huge reptiles swan around, snorting and blow ing; they wera bolder in this element. l could not have waded safely ashore, even had the water been shallow. To swim i- no-even though swan like duck, they would have closed upon me and quartered me before could have made dozen strokes. Mortified by their demonstrations, turned back upon dry ground, and paced the islet with dripping garments. continued walk ing until night, which gathered round me dark and dismal. With night, came new voices, the hideous voices of the nocturnal swamp: the qua.qua of the night heron, the screech of the swamp owl. the cry of the bittern, the el-l-uk of the great wa,or-toad, the tnkling of the bell-frog, and the chirp of the savannah, cricket, all fell upon my ear. Sounds still harsher and more hideous were heard around me-the splashing of the alligator and the roaring of his voice these reminded me that must not go to sleep. To sleep! durst not have slept for sin- gle instant. Even when I lay for few minutes motionless, the dark reptiles came ujtprr rs,unl rlncn hot ! ~nptA have put forth my hand and touched them.
 At intervals sprang to my feet, shouted, swept my gun around, and chased them back to the water, into which they betook themselves with sullcn plunge, but with little semblance of fear. At each fresh de. monstation on my part. they showed less alarm, until could no longer drive them, either with shouts or threatening gestures. They cnly retreated few feet, forming ar irregular circle round me.
 Thus hemmed in, hecame frightened in turn. loaded my gun, and fired; killed none. They are impervious to a bullet, cx' capt in the eye or under tho forearm. Il was too dark to aim at these parts; and my shots glanced harmlessly from the pyramid. al scales of their bodies. The loud report however, and the blaze frightened them, ,ant they fed, to return again aite, long inter val. was asleep when they returned; had gone to sleep in spite of my efforts t keep awake. I was startled by the toucs of something cold; and ha!i-stiiiled hy thu strong musky odor tha, filled the air threw ou, my arms. My fingers rested upon a, object slippery and clammy; it was one o these monsters--one of gigantic size. H. had crawled closo along side of me, and Wal preparing to make his attack, as saw tha he was bent in the form of a bow. and
 knew that these creatures assumed that al titnde when about to strike their victim.
 was Jus, in time to spring aside. and avoi,
 the stroke of his powerful tail, that the mex
 moment swept tue ground where had lain
 Again l fired, and he, with the rest. ohc' more re,reated to the lake.
 | All thoughts of going to sleep were at al
 end. Not that felt wakeful; on the con
 tra,y, wearied with my days exertions-fo
 had had long pull under tropical sun
 ! could have laid down upon the earth, il
 the mud, anywhere, and slept in an instan, AffRt h.,t tt l-- f :