The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-11
ALLIGATOR HUNTING.
Extract from Letter from Florida. Telling
Of Gator Hunting on Lake Panasoffkee.

At Panasoffkee we took the steamer May Bell
for passage through Lake P. We were in a dig.
ferent country from any / had yet seen in Flori-
da. Everywhere the margin of the lake and
river is big cypress swamp, live oak. cabbage
palm. bay trees, ETC.. and all hung with moss.
Vines Chamber through and among the branches.
and there are hundred OF water turkeys sitting
in wait for the sight OF fish. The water turkey
is the hawk of the water, the chicken or
blue-tailed hawk is Of the air He stands mp
tall like light-bodied turkey, with straight.
long neck. and q half-crane bill. sharp as q
needle. He sights 6sh. plungss in for II, slips
through the water like a seal, never leaving the
track until he succeeds. This water turkey has
o beautiful black dress, with cape and breast of
light seal brown. A flock on n ss-bedecked
tree is a pretty sight They do not take alarm
easily. and are not ft to eat.
We spent the night at Mr.. Dawey's. on Teula
Apopka lake. and left this morning in a cracker
wagon for Hawkins's Landing. on the Withla-
had dinner, then embarked in a skiff with man
to row. Prof. r., being the ghtest sat in the
bow. and / in the stern, with the thirty eight
Winchester rife. We were to be taken six
miles up the river, and alligators were to form
the sport In less than a mile one sighted
lying the bank. He turned his head down
aimed just behind the shoulder.
Bang roared the gun, and that
gator threw his tail and legs and head in more
ways than you ever thought Of He pounded
the water and made the lettuce beds shake aud
wave to where we were. The boatman was
greatly excited. although old hunter. and
shouted, hurrying up to the spot just as the
gator WAS sinking He went TO the bottom
under some tree tops, and. although We could
feel him. we could not get him out. and he was
really dangerous boat. We marked the
spot that in sso days, when he rises, the
boatman can get bis skin and teeth, worth from
s2 to 81. We went on and ! soon sighted
shoot and / handed over the gun.
Tbs first shot entered his spine, and he beat my
gator for tumbing around. 1t was as If twenty
big snakes were turning, twisting and Hopping
We hurried up to him, and Prof. K put three
more balls in him, as he tangled 10 brush
and vines. and could not sink. We finally
captured him after big fcht, and were fairly
thrilled with excitement. We got him out on
the ground, measured him fair and square, and
one fore paw, and ore hind paw, and much re-
Rretted that we could not stop to skin him. So
started out again. and in less than ten min
utes Prof. r. sighted one looking round the
roots of big live.oak. He heard rs, and turned
his head down into the water. i spills his back
the first pom. Then the music began to play.
He waltzed around among the cypress-kne
but the rascal got into the water and sank TO
the bottom. and nothing we had could reach
him. Now. know it would sound bigger il
would write that We got them, but such 10 not
the We afterwards shot and missed three
or four fine ones. You must remember. how
ever, that we were going up stream. making O
noise and hurrying TO reach steamboat land
ing. We had outfit but the gun. forgot 10
mention that my first gator WAS about eieht
feet long, and the last one an immenee fellow
TO fail to get him for his teeth. We just
made the steamer in time, aud so ended my first
alligator hunt c.
PANAsoFFKEE, Fla. March 3.