Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1888-06-29
sTIEPHERDSTOWN W. VA, FRIDAY, JUNE 20 1855

kicked up kept the launch in motion.
4 dozen times over We felt their teeth
taking hold of the iron screw and slip
ping off, and it seemed as if men in an
open boat would have stood no show
whatever against the monsters.
Night also brought out a thousand
sounds from the prineval forest
around us Frogs, birds, and beetles
raised frightful medley, and there
were moments when all our conversa-
tion had to be suspended. We were
now high enough up to be among the
jaguars and black panthers, and the
screams of these savage beasts reached
our ears before we turned in 70 sleep
Indeed. a we sat smoking in the cab
in after supper, we heard and felt an
animal of the cat tribe spring aboard
and walk back and forth over our
heads. AS we were entirely shut i'll
there was no danger to be feared.
The engineer yet had plenty of steam,
/ and when he was communicated with
he blew such blast on the whistle as
startled our visitor out of his wits and
brought Us graveyard stiffness for the
next half hour
Next morning, while the professor
and his assistants landed to scour the
woods about and secure specimens, |
gave the crOcodiles all my attention.
| had an English muzzle-loading rifle
of large calibre, and | shot five of the
reptiles in the creek behind the boat.
4 bullet behind the fore leg or in the
eye reached their life at once. While
the report of the rifle alarmed the
birds and animals of the forest the
crocodiles paid little attention TO it.
Just above was long, sandy beach,
and by s o'clock in the morning the
beach was sight to see. We had a
full mile of 1T under our eyes, and the
number Of crocodiles which had
crawled up on the sands could not
have been short of 500. They were Of
all sizes. from the little chap no long
er than your arm to the old settler,
alongside of which "A twentyfoot pole
could not have been laid. | walked up
TO the thick of them and began blaZ-
ing away. Those reptiles within a
space of forty feet hurried into the
water at the report. But il was only
to land again above and below, and il
was fully three hours before the game
became SO shy that | temporarily
abandoned the sport. The morning :
result was 110 crocodiles, all Of which
were veterans of the largest size. Dur
ing the two days we remained in this
spot killed 207 of the reptiles, and
forty more were slain by other mem
bers of the party.
-Four or five days later, while TWEEN
ty-fve miles further up the river, we
saw curious and astounding sight.
We were tied up to the left bank, and
had just finished dinner, when a fire
was discovered in the forest on the
opposite shore. The flames We're two
or three miles back from the river, but
hardly had we observed the smoke be
fore various wild animals began max
ing the crossing. We could see up and
down the OrinOco for Il distance of
two miles either way, and in ten min
utes after we saw the fire the water
for all this distance seemed lashed to
foam Wild cattle, deer, tapirs, ant
eaters monkeys, serpents, peccaries,
and iaguars came swimming to our
side for life. The crocodiles for a
long distance up and down the stream
got the call to come TO a rare feast,
and believe that u full thousand Of
them were in sight from the launch.
The stream here was over half a mile
wide, with current of about three
miles an hour. What with their fear
of the flames behind them and the
fleeing inhabitants of the forest were
I'm great terror. 1t did not for a time
occur to us that we were in any dan
ger, but suddenly we observed huge
serpent heading straight for the
launch, and some one shouted for all
to seek cover. The snake came right
aboard and was followed in a minute
or two by a jaguar. Either of the Wis
itors could have passed to the shore as
we lay against the bank in deep wa
ter. but both seemed determined TO re-
main with us. 1t wasn't two minutes
before the fierce growls Of the jaguar
proved that conflict was imminent,
and thirty seconds later serpent and
beast were having it hot and heavy
along the hurricane deck. While the
row was going on. second jaguar
boarded Us over the bows. which were
open back TO the pilot-house, and
looking from a window it seemed as if
we were beset from the river side. 1t
was a full half-hour before the panic
subsided, and by that time every
crocodile must have had a square
meal and over.
We had shut ourselves up when the
serpent came aboard. 4 fight GER
tainly took place between the snake
and the first jaguar, and when the
second came aboard the fight took on
a new phase. Whether the two beasts
were attacking the reptile together or
whether it was a triangular contest
we could not tell. but after the panic
along the river had subsided We care
fully opened the cabin doors and
looked out. One of the jaguars lay
dead on the deck, while the other and
the serpent were gone. An examina-
ton of the dead beast showed that he
had haen caupht in the folds Of the