New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-04-19

in front of the very meat market or butcher hall
s an occasional individual of these monsters would
protrude It's hideous snout and snap at the remains
(entrals head filings of slaughtered beasts) of
/. some of the otials of the stalls, thrown or swept
from under its halls into the near levee Shores
Other specimens of this tribe of crocodles we had
, already seen when coming up the river live ones
as well as dead, for it seems then to have been
universal practice of all the passengers on board
of vessels provided with shot guns or rifles, to
keep up an incessant firing and shooting upon these
dreaded animals. One of these dead ones stretched
upon sandbank just below Fort St. Philippe, in
the parish of Plaquemnes, measured near twenty
feet long.
Now, if we are to believe all the curious stories
that have been told us about this animal, it takes
a wide range of credibiity, indeed, to stomach
some of the toughest sailor yarns or hunters tales
that can we'll be imagined. However, there is moth
ing astonishing as to the very great age which this
creature is able of attaining, when not in contact
with the destructive neighborhood of civilized
man.
As stated above, all along the banks of the Mis-
sissippi, from its mouths to the city of New Or
leans, this voracous monster would show itself
and hence bathing in the waters of that stream
was, by no means, considered advisable As for
the Bayou st. john in which we juveniles then,
notwithstanding all the warnings of elder people,
now and then would take swimming and a
psunge-we very well recollect the fright
which we experienced upon one occasion, when
upon hot afternoon, while taking bath,
I'm the neighborhood of Mr.. Allards plantation
and under the still existing small live oak tree
overhanging the bayou all at once the old monster
which it was said there kept watch, and often
all Ip
whole year, made his sudden appearance and i'm
mediateiy went under again, as much as to let us
youngsters know that he still was at his centurial
station. For the people in that vicinity reeounted
most horrible stories respecting alligators in gem
eral, but about this old crocodileshp at the
Alard plantation in particular. 1t was said of
him. the Indians had always respected the old fell
low, who, in ancient times, came out of the deep
i waters and marched oil over the Bayou Metairie,
Bayou St. John, Bayou GENTLY and Savage, in
fact, according to these Indian traditions, this was
privileged character, and having never troubled
any of the red tribe they neither would interfere
with his vocation, particularly as they pretended
that he kept the country clear from all rep
| tiles, everrunning otherwise the canebrakes
and swamp bushes of the country, round about
their encampment. That there must have been
that also explains to us, why in the wilds of Africa
certain negro tribes will adore and reverence some
| gigantic boa constructor as deity or real
benefactor, for if such monsters actually main.
| tain certain supremacy and exterminate all other
competing reptiles it stands to reason that these
| children of nature will feel naturally inclined to
thank them for such beneficial superintendance
Hence we see no uncommon event in one such
| ancient monster having been respected by the
few aborigines who frequented then the lonely
bayous of the delta region; and when, in later
times, the French colonists and forest hunters
penetrated these wildernesses, guided and accom-
panied by their friendly Indians, they learned from
them the traditions and respect shown some of these
swamp guardians, and may, perhaps, have followed
their example and advice with respect to these
reptiles. Similar to the respect shown to these
ancient monsters, is the Indian practice never to
kill snake; nay, we have it from an old creole
lnhabitant descendant from the aborigines, him
sell one of the Initiated of the Indian priest or
brotherhood, and who, in virtue of his position
and degree in that ancient order of aboriginal |
druids, proposed to us to receive us in the sacred
rites of the Indian ring that if we consented to
submit to the necessary conditions and formalities
he would communicate to us the secret of tanning
tails, congors, or what not,) and that they would
forever be the most innocent creatures towards
our person. This proposition he was enabled to
make to us, because we had already been received
and consecrated subordinate chief or head man
of one of the Chatac tribes; but we declined his
offer, having natural dsincnation to handling or
managing any of these reptiles, which he told us
we must undertake, but that he would keep us
free from all harm.
He told us that he himself, though great hun,
ter never had killed snake that there was no
necessity for it, that they were just as useful as
any other of Gods creatures, and that if we had
killed snakes formerly, we should now promise
him never to do SO any more This latter promise
we did make, and have keptit The old man is
long since in his grave, and what his particular
object may have been, we cannot divine but he
told US that from henceforth no reptile or snake
would have any power over us. Now then we
may remind our readers that this Indian practice
regarding reptiles and alligators may have some
natural reasons of which people liyirg in cities can
have no conception. And again, when we compare
the country life, and particularly that of an inhab-
liant of the primitive wds or Businesses of nature,
with that of civilian never beyond the city's
it is no wonder that this latter one
'ii'tia
practical experience of the natural wonders and
works in the animal as well as vegetable world
with which the former is continually surrounded
and in perpetual contact and connection. Hence s
let US not be ncredulous when such people tell us
that they possess secrets or methods of tanning
animals, of which the city inhabitants have but
The faintest idea, and a natural revolving
10 have any thing to do with them which is not
however the view that an inhabtant of the forest
takes OF Gods creation. Such latter one having
been brought up from infancy IN close intimacy
with not only the tame, domestic animals, but
also those living in the open fields or forests, or
swamps, feels quite different toward them than
we, to whom even the mere handling of horse
IL mule is already most serious matter of con-
cern. But to letuUl to our alligatorship of the
Allard plantation tavern little above the present
urning bridge. 1t was said that this individual
IL some other one of his age, for a long time had
served as stepping bridge across the bayou
Hetairie or some of its forks, and that in fact,
generally hunters had taken it for some old live
oak trunk, struck by a hurricane and laid across
he water. That however, upon one occasion
party of hunters had had to light fire near this
bridge, and whilst boiling their water for coffee,
Ill at once the pretended trunk feeling no doubt |