Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-06-15

ment at MS blLe WdS 30 SIoaV Vh"V
none OF us fired shot.
After proceeding five miles furth'
er up the stream we crossed to the
left bank, entered the mouth Of an
other creek, intending to make our
first excursion on shore from this
spot. Several crockodiles followed
in the wake of the steamer, and
some of the men declared that the
big fellow was among them. we
ran into the creek about four times
our length, and made fast to a tree
on shore, and in short time night
shut down over the forest.
Here was a great highway which
had been more or less nayigated
for a score of years, and along the
banks Of which were many settle.
ments, and yet the presence OF man
had not made the slightest inroad
into the wildness and the savage
ness of nature. Scarcely had the
darkness come down when we we're
beseiged on all sides. For the mos
quito pest we we're prepared. Had
we not been no man could have
lived an hour. They came down
upon us in such swarms that a
man outside of shelter would haye
been eaten alive. Every door and
window was defended by wire cloth,
but the insects settled on the glass
outside and upon every object on
deck until it was hidden from sight.
The crockodiles came down the
creek and in from the river in such
numbers that the swell kicked up
kept the launch in motion. a
dozen times over we felt their teeth
taking hold of the iron screw and
slipping of, and it seemed as if
men in an open boat would have
stood no show whatever against
the monsters.
Night also brought out a thou
sand sounds from the prlmeval
forest around us. Frogs, birds,
and beetles raised a frighttul med
lev, and there we're moments when
all our conversation had to be sus'
pended. We were now high enough
up to be among the iaguars and
black panthers, and the screams
of these savage beasts reached our
ears before we turned in to sleep
Indeed, as we sat smoking in the
cabin 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 in there was no dan
ger to be feared. The engineer yet
had plenty of steam, and when he
was communicated with he blew
such a blast on the whistle as
startled our visitor out of his wits
and brought us graveyard stiffness
for the ncxt half hour.
Next morning, while the profes'
sOr and his assistants landed to
scour the woods about and secure
specimens, 1 gave the crockodiles
all my attention. l had an Eng
lish muzzle-loading rifle of large
calibre, and 1 shot five of the rep
tiles in the creek behind the boat
A ballet behind the fore leg or in
the eye reached their life at once
While the report of the rifle alarm
ed the birds and animals of the for
est the crockodilcs paid little at
tention to it. Just above was
long, sandy beach, and by O'CLOCK
in the morning the beach was
sight to see. We had a full mile o
it under our eyes, and the numbel
of crockodiles which had crawleC
up on the sands could not hav'
been short OF 800. They were o
all sizes, from the little chap nj
longer than your arm to the oil
settler, alongside Of which a twen
ty foot pole could not have beel
laid. / walked up to the thick o
them and began blazing away
Those reptiles within a space o
forty feet hurried into the water a
the report. But it was only t
land again above and below. and
was fully three hours before tn
game became so shy that | ten
porarily abandoned the sport. Th
mornings result was ITO crocko
dies, all of which we're veterans Q
the largest size. During the tw'
days we remained in this spot
killed 207 of the reptiles, and fort
more were slain by other member
of the party.
Four or FIVE days later, Will,
twenty-five miles further up thu
river, we saw curious and astound
lug sight. We we're tied up to tn
left bank, and had just finished dir
ner, when a fire was discovered i
the forest on the opposite Shore
The flames were two or three mile
back from the river, but hardly ha
we obs eryed the smoke before Va
rious wild animals began maxim
the crossing. We could see u
aud down the Orinoco for q di
tance of two miles either way, an
in ten minutes after we saw the 6r
the water for all this distance seen
cd lashed to foam. Wild cattl
deer, tapirs, ant-eaters, monkey
serpents, preccaries, and jagual