The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-30
CIASED ny IN ALLIGATOR.
SWIMMING for Life and Escaping by Dfvteu
In the Narbuddhn.

course there are alligators in India. Half tho
rivers up-counry swarm with them, aud they
abound in the tanks. rs the large shallow ponds
30 numerous on the plains are called. In kur-
rachoe. close to tho entrance TO the Persian
Gulf. thoy have q tank stocked with what thoy
call tame ones and visitors can tand dol buy
goats for n rupee each, and throw them In to
the reptiles. And their rushing OF n goat
and tearing 1t to pieces is a spectacle to max o
man forswear fresh water bathing in India.
Yet tho majority Of the people in India, and
especially the natives. hold that an ALLIGATOR 10
not dangerous TO u human being. | have heard
tho same thing said in Florida. and for all |
know, 1t may. for the most part. be true. But !
had an adventure once that convinced me that
man who wants to battle had better content
himself with the conveEiences Afforded. how
over imperfecty. by his own bath room than
venture into n river inhabited by aliigaiors-
About sixteen miles from Jubbulpcro arc
the Marble Rocks. one Of the sights Of the Gem
trail Provinces. Tho Narbuddhn which at that
point is very deep AMI narrow, flows slowly for
about hall g mile bctwegn perpendiculhr wallis
head, the rocks on either side taper toward each
other and when the moonlight Is streaming
down through the narrow aperture. illuinininR
the river and tho white cliffs that border il. the
excursionist. floating ia a flat -bottonIrd boat on
well make him doubt whether Hans Andrrs,n's
pictures Of fairy land are wholly imaginary.
One Sunday morning q few years ago and
Marble Rocks. Tho Narbuddhn is winding
river. and fse miles from Jubbulporo We had
@ eross SF sn Ts SrdnS e p Ia Wa er Esr
terribly heated and tfriSl for y was scorchlne
July weather and we dee'''sV 70, rest lnr an
our minds whether We would proc,@i or not.
Myseh and one OF my companions wer' soon
sufficiently recovered to resume our lourR-ys
but the third member OF our party was unable
or unwilling To- Ko on;so. leaving him IA Charge
q the wason The ether exsursiani,t ma the
our guns We shot nothing. for at tbat hour
everything with fur or feather on Il WIS shelter
ing itself from tie torrid heat but we came TO y
small canoe tied 10 the shore. and determined
to cross the river IN it. The native driver in
vain tried to dissuade us. for these canoes ara
tho hurdcst THINGS IN the world 10 manner, and
this one. moreover. WIS intended to h"ld One
man only. Nevertheless we got in and pushed
nn. In less tliHn thirty seconds we were All
three struggling In the water. and. though we
got ashore without much trouble, We lost one
the day.
1t now occurred to us that it would he visa
10 hang up our saturated clothes to dry. while
we hathed in the sacred waters 81 the Mar
buddha. | asked the native whether there
were any allggtors IN the e, river. aH1 BE- saii
US. and. thus fortified. We were soon swimming
from the shore.
hundred yards wide. and was running ~ thu
Narbuddha seems 20 do all alou. its course,
low sana 6an ani S eRsad that sf' ds oas
Jungle. / was very proud OF my powers AS a
swimmer In those days. and started to 20
across.
Three hundred yards is no great distance.
you wi say, for good swimmer e. traverse in
the water. No. but with IN Indian sun beating
down upon my uncovered head. felt before /
had got two-thirds Of the way over that hnd
mnde "A blundrr that ml4ht cost nae any life.
| swan on. however aud landed on ihe sand
hank with my head dizzy and my cye- h.urred-
very fair Indications that sunstrukc II threat.
ching
had dritrl some distance down the river,
ana now Wlsrl back, getting Wure' ruthct
than better. until was little way u.uVt tine
point from which had started Ia the middis
OF the river WIS small island. with 20 tow
wiihcreI palm trees un u. and % THE tried 10.
swim SWAN slowly frequently duck my
Ne0u under IN Wu'"r. aud when WIS within
sixty or seventy yards 81 the down stream end
OF the Island, and feeling IN better condition.
saw, coming around point mat United soma
Instance. out from the sldc ol tue iShhd what
looked Ike the end ol thck hroomsiick noat.
wait 70 examine II, Tor knew AZ the ilrst kluucs'
that II was the horn that rises from an aliiga-
tors nose. altered my course ut once. swim-
ming dlagonaliy down the stream. nnssed tha
lSlhnd ana gOt over nearly n thlrd oil tue AIS
lance to the shore before Iyentured to look
around. Up 70 tiat moment the alligator hau
not seen me. but before could resume NV race
ior uo hnu part OF the great h'Ai suFSeu
nedNiy over tue WHtcr anu lheh hofr'hN ana
Enthusiastically the norm began 10 move toward
me- ---,. -,
-, p t 10 SWIM LOT my ne Win tliH odds
pll9stiihel nguhsl me- ~ nan mlbuto
Iooheu over my sloulleI anu saw tNat tils hrWe
was coNeIlhs tnrpo leel 10 my oh'' lie WAC
toouI siAy SatLs oehihd me. ahIthr shorc was
h fnnaHp3y eiEhty ihrds away. IL was eNnleni
f tn nau no cnnire IVY swan urslnralvly'
~ a pu;t.,l w q hlluuu, Iooh"u AIHuil" again.
l. ia 'so az Mus WY LOS 10 me lhfh saw