iver,
which could only be crossed by swimming. One of my people said to me:

"Master, the water is deep here, and we are in the courses where the
caymans abound; an accident soon happens, let us try further up the
river, and pass over in a shallower spot."

We were about to follow this advice, when another man, more rash
than his comrades, said: "I'm not afraid of caymans!" and spurred
his horse into the stream. He had scarcely got half-way across, when
we perceived a monstrous cayman rise and advance to meet him. We
uttered a warning shout, the Indian himself perceived the danger,
threw himself from his horse, and swam for the bank with all his
strength. He had already reached it, but imprudently stopped behind
the trunk of a tree that had been felled by the force of the current,
and where he had the water up to his knees. Believing himself secure,
he drew his cutlass, and watched the movements of the cayman, which,
meanwhile, had reached the horse just as, the Indian quitted the
animal. Rearing his enormous head out of the water, the monster threw
himself upon the steed and seized him by the saddle. The horse made
a violent effort, the girths broke, and thus enabled him to reach
the shore. Soon, however, finding that his prey had escaped, the
cayman dropped the saddle, and made towards the Indian. We perceived
this movement, and quickly cried out: "Run, run, or the cayman will
have you!" The Indian, however, would not stir, but calmly waited,
cutlass in hand. The monster advanced towards him; the Indian struck
him a blow on the head, which took no more effect than a flip of the
fingers would have on the horns of a bull. The cayman made a spring,
seized him by one of his thighs, and for more than a minute we beheld
my poor shepherd--his body erect above the surface of the water,
his hands joined, his eyes turned to heaven, in the attitude of a man
imploring Divine mercy--dragged back again into the lake. The drama
was over: the cayman's stomach was his tomb. During these agonizing
moments, we all remained silent, but no sooner had my poor shepherd
disappeared than we all swore to avenge him.

I caused to be made three nets of strong cords, each of which nets
was large enough to form a complete barrier across the river. I also
had a hut built, and put an Indian to live in it, whose duty was to
keep constant watch, and to let me know as soon as the cayman returned
to the river. He watched in vain, for upwards of two m