The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-07-17

yards.
A correspondent Of the New York
Sun writes:-I first went to Florida in the
winter Of 1873. Like all pilgrims in
search of health, | sailed up the st. Johns
River, After beholding palmetto in all
its glory, was eager to see an alligator in
all its pristine purity. For 230 miles |
kept bright lookout along the banks Of
the st. Johns. II was carly in January,
and the weather was chilly. | landed in
Enterprise, on Lake Monroe, without see
ing a saurian. They were in winter
quarters, hidden 10 the mud at the bottom
Of the river. Is the negroes are TO be
believed, each reptile had swallowed a
lightwood knot by way Of ballast, aud
would not reappear until the weather be-
came warm. | saw the first alligator
week after my arrival in Enterprise. |
sat in the stern Of blue boat, trolling for
Southern bass. July jenkins, a yenera-
bic Ethiopian, was pulling the oars. II
was day Of sunshine. We were nearing
the mouth Of Woodruff Greek, when July
stopped rowing, and eagerly muTmured.
"Dah's a gatah r.
looked up small bayou, and saw
long black object stretched among the
reeds and lilypFls, perfectly motionless
lie looked as though he wore a coat of
mail. "Ile's dead, July" | said.
"Oh, no, sab, was the reply. Hem
only asleep, | reckon"
Back up the boat, | said, 81 want to
look at him"
The boat was noiselessly backed up the
bayou. The monster gave no sign Of life.
He was fully eleven feet long | had
taken in my spinner, and was handling my
rod like horsewhip. "'Foro de Lord,
don't be brash," July murmured, "duh S
heap o compredunction in a gatah."
could not believe that the reptile was alive.
If he were breathing his Aanks ought to
show the motion Of a bellows. When
within six feet prodded him under fore
leg with the lanceWood tip. All doubt
vanished. The reptile jumped as though
a torpedo had exploded beneath him. He
took in the situation in second. Reeds
and lilypads flew in the air, and he landed
slap against the gunwales throwing me
partly overheard, and covering the fright
cned negro with mud. The water was
shallow, and as the monster slid under tho
keel the boat was careened, the freedman 5
hat went overheard, and an oar was thrown
ten feet away by wipe Of the serrated
tail. | clambered back into the boat, and
saw curved line Of bubbles marking the
reptiles course from the bayou into the
lake. had seen an alligator in all its
pristine purity. 81 knowed dat gatah war
asleep, sab, said July in a tone Of re-
proaeh, as he fshed up his hat aud broke
for the stray oar. We resumed our fish
ing but the old gentleman pointed out no
more alligaton, although he undoubtedly
saw half dozen. On our return to
Enterprise, Capt. Tom Reeves heard of
the adventure, and made inquiries as to
location and position. A week afterward
he was pulled up to the dock, with the
cayman trailing at the stern of his boat.
Within fortnight was trolling along
a fringe of lilypads, near the mouth of the
WekiYa, and saw a six footer plastered
against the opposite bank of the river in
profound slumber. Showing cartridge
into Remington rife | got out of the
boat, braced myself against live oak, took
deliberate aim at the reptiles neck, and
fred. A cloud of snowy herons arose
from marsh behind me, but the alligator
did not stir. "Dat Ah gatahs a good
slcepah, sab" said July "Dat ali shot
done gone clean ober him, | reckon"
Again | steadied myself against the live
oak, and a second report ran over the
water | heard a crashing in the canes
behind me, aud saw huge saurian rush.
ing for the lilypads like train Of coal
cars. He bad probably been Watching me
from the time landed, and had been
startled by the second crack of the rife.
AS he went into the river q small tidal
wave rolled over the lilypadsl and school
Of large bass who had been hiding in the
shady recesses beneath them darted to and
fro in terror, The six footer on the oppo
site bank Of the river remained as qnies-
cent as iron. Afier three additional shots
We crossed the river and held post NOR
TEN. Three bullets had entered the rep
tiles body, aud two had glanced from the
plates Of mail The first bullet had an
parently broken the yertebra just over the
shoulders, and had killed him outright
without a spasm. We heaved him into
the boat, and returned to Enterprise in
triumph. A crowd of darkies and nil.
grims gathered around. Ernest Man of
Bayonne, N. j., heard the story with
much interest. why" said he ut its
conclusion, "that's the same alligator that
| killed two days ago. If you look under
his left fore leg, you'll find the mark Of an
explosive bullet
A month later | visited lake Jessup
with Judge Emmons Of Jacksonville.
The Judge was a wonderful marksman, as
full Of fun as magpie; but he was get
ting old and his eyesight was failing. One
day We killed monster on the edge Of n
marshy canebrake. He had splendid teeth.
aud the Judge waited to secure them as
mementocs. The painter Of the boat was
tied to the reptiles leg, aud We towed him
across an arm of the lake to solid ground.
A small axe was borrowed from the house
of "cracker" near by, aud we concluded
to decapitate the prize, boil the head, aud
remove the teeth. The body was 50 large
that we could not draw it upon the shore.
A stake was cut aud pointed, and driven
through the jaws of the reptile, pinning
him into the mud. The water was pro.
badly two feet deep. The Judge drew
out sheath knife, and was about 10 make
an incision, when he was cautioned BY
barefooted negro, who stood on the bank
watching the operation with curious eyes.
'Better gitshuto dat ah gatah, shuah,'
said be, "twell he done gone dead"
'0h, good Lord T. exclaimed the Judge,
"he's been dead an hour. If he was alive,
do you reckon he'd allow us TO drive
stake through him ?"
"No gatah am dead till de sun am gone
down, the darkie observed.
The Judge laughed, and passed me the
knife. inserted the blade ia bullet
hole near the shoulder aud cut a eash in
the aesh, following the trend Of the dia-
mond shaped scales beneath the skin.
Judge Emmons stood near the monsters
tail. The knife penetrated the quiyering