The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-05-02


ness of nature. Scarcely had the dark:
ness come down when we were besieged
on all sides. For the mosquito pest We
were prepared. Had we not been no
man could have lived an hour. They
came down unon US in such swarms that
a man outside of shelter would hare
cen eaten alive. Every door and window
was defended by wire cloth. but the in
sects settled on the glass outside and
upon everv object on deck until it was
hidden from sight. The crocodiles 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 haze stood no show whatever
against the monsters.
Night also brought out thousand
sounds from the primeval forest around
us. Frogs, birds, and beetles raised
frightful medley, and there were mo.
ments when all our conversation 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 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 danger 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
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. l had
an English muzzle. loading rifle OF large
calibre, and I shot five OF the reptiles in
the creek behind the boat. A bullet be-
hind 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 crocodlles paid little attention
to it. Just above was a long, sandy
beach, and by eight o'clock in the morn
ing this Leach was sight to
sec. We hal a full mile of it 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 twenty foot pole !
could have been laid. I walked up to
the thick of them and began blazing
away. Those reptiles within space of
forty feet hurried into the water at the
report, but it was only to land again |!
above and below, and it was fully three |
hours before the game became so shy !
that temporarily abandoned the sport.
The mornings result was ITO crocodiles,
all of which were veterans of the largest |
size. During the two days we remained |
in this spot killed 2O7 of the reptiles,
and .ty more were slain by other mem
bcrs of the party.
Four or five days later, while twenty |
FIVE miles further up the river, we saw a
curious and astounding sight. We were
tied up to the left bank, aud had just
finished dinner when fire was discov-
cred IN the forest on the opposite shore.
The flames were two or three miles back |
from the water, but hardly had we OBJ
served the great smoke before various !
wild animals began making the crossing.
We could see up and down the Orinoco
for distance of two miles either way,
and in ten minutes after we saw the !
fire the water for all this distance seemed ;
lashed to foam Wild cattle, deer,
tapirs and jasuars came swimming to our !
side for life. The crocodies for a
long distance up and down the stream
got the call to come to rare feast,
and | believe that full thousand OF
them were in sight from the launch. The
stream here was over half mile wide,
with current of about three miles an
hour. What with their fear of the flames
behind them and the fierce crocodiies
around them, the fleeing inhabitants of
the forest were in great terror. 1t did
not for time occur to lis that we were
in any danger, but suddenly we observed
huge serrent heading straight tor the
launch, and some shouted for all to seek
cover. The snake came right aboard,
aud was folio we'd in m mute or two by
a jaguar. Either of the visitors could
have easily passed to the shore as we lay
against the bank in deep water, but both
seemed determined to remain with US. 1t
wasn't two m nutes before the fierce
growls of the jaguar proved that con-
tiict 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
IooL :uo from q window If seemed as if =
we were beset from the river side. 1t
was full half hour before the panic sub
sided. and by that time every crocodile
must have had square meal and over
We had shut ourselves up when the
serpent came aboard. A fight certainly
took pla"e between the snake and the
first iaguar, and when the second came
aboard, the fl yht took on 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 sub
sided, we carefully 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
examination of the dead beast showed
that he had been caught in the folds of
the snake, and that the latter was a boa
constructor. The backbone and nearly
all the ribs were broken. {:
Three or four days later we had near
: and plain view of still more singular
combat. We had tie | up to the bank ,
for the night, and were eating supper,
when a wild bull came down to the
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