The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1897-07-29
A WONDERFUL REPTILE.
Caught by James River Fisherman
and just the Shape of the River'


and just the Shape of the Rlver'
A New York travelling man recently
arrived at Norfolk from trip through
Virginia and tells OF remarkable dis
covery which was recently made by
fishermen up the James river near City
Point Jew days ago.
81 had heard good deal about the
scenery along the river" said he, "and
wanted to visit two or three Of the bat,
tie grounds of the late war, so flnlshed
up my business at Peter s5urg an Welt
over 70 City Point. General Grants OLD
headquarters. A great many OF the
darkies get their living up that way by
net fishing. The morning after l
reached City Point, man told
me some of the fishermen had
caught a strange animal, and If |
Went up to Peter Jackson's shanty L
could see it. Accordingly, | got INTO
boat and paid one of the old Uncle Tom
darkies quarter to row me 10 the
place. He had heard Of the discovery
and ssid It was some wonderful beast
that no one in those parts had ever seen
before. Fully hundred colored breth,
rem of all sizes and descriptions had
gathered around by the time we had ar
rived. The night before, while jack
son and his brother had been haulluS
their net, there was an unusual commo-
ton. and, after dumping the fish, they
were astonished to find a remarkable
looking reptile, little less than three
feet in length. 1t at first made lively
fight, bu. was finally laid out by blow
from nm oar. The superstitious negroes
were almost afraid to row ashore
with it, but curiosity nnaliy
overc.me their fear. do not
wonder that the darkies were so scared;
1t had fourteen or fifteen claws attached
to short legs something like an alilga-
tor. also an enormous mouth, which
had been pried open and was lined with
ugly lows of teeth. The tail was shaped
like that of whale and the web-iooted
claws showed that it belonged to spe-
cies which could swim. Its color was
dark green. the claws being red, also
portions of the tail and the inside OF the
mouth as we'll. It had .one large eye,
and long slim tongue like that OF
snake. am frank to say that never
saw ANYTHING like it before, and II L
had Geen out with the boys any during
the week, would have thought sure that
I had 'em, but had been sober as
Judge for months before.
'srhe thing was taken up to hich-
mond, and from there sent North 70
some naturalist believe. 1t was sent
on the steamer Virginia, Of the James
rirer route of the Old Bay Line: L
ceme along on the same trip, and the
officers of the bos6 had quite discus
sion about the animal or reptile. We
spre ad it out Oh q piece Of paper, and
one of the pilots while examining 1t,
suddenly made an exclamation. Re
fore we could ask him what was the
matter he hastened out and came back
with map OF the James river. Won
deriul to say, the shape OF the thing
was almost similar to the many curves
in the stream. The Chickahominy and
other rivers which flow into the James
river, corresponded with the legs OF the
animal, and where the river was largest
it was broadest. The tail was located
nea: Richmond, and its mouth when
opened was very similar to the shape OF
the Hampton Roads between Old Point
Comfort and Norfolk. The officers OF
the steamer we're so impressed with the
likeness that one of them made draw
ING of it, believe, and sent it to the
eaiauarters of the Baltimore Steam
Packet Company, which operates the
James River Line of steamers between
Baltimore and Richmond.
/ should think that the Smithsonian
Institute at Washington would like
yery much to obtain this curiosity. Il
NAV have been a Southern alligator,
which had gotten out of his latitude
and into the James, but I have never
seen an alligator before which had red
tail and tongue and was Of such q vivid
gresnish tint.