edge of the water,
opening his enormous jaws all ready to devour me, I approached the
muzzle of my gun to within a few inches, and fired both barrels, in
the hope that the bullets would find something softer than scales in
the interior of that formidable cavern, and that they would penetrate
to his brain. All was futile. The jaws closed with a terrible noise,
seizing only the fire and smoke that issued from my gun, and the balls
flattened against his bones without injuring them. The animal, which
had now become furious, made inconceivable efforts to seize one of
his enemies; his strength seemed to increase, rather than to diminish,
whilst our resources were nearly exhausted. Almost all our lances were
sticking in his body, and our ammunition drew to an end. The fight
had lasted more than six hours, without any result that could make us
hope for its speedy termination, when an Indian struck the cayman,
whilst at the bottom of the water, with a lance of unusual strength
and size. Another Indian, at his comrade's request, struck two vigorous
blows with a mace upon the but-end of the lance; the iron entered deep
into the animal's body, and immediately, with a movement as swift as
lightning, he darted towards the nets and disappeared. The lance pole,
detached from the iron head, returned to the surface of the water;
for some minutes we waited in vain for the monster's re-appearance;
we thought that his last effort had enabled him to reach the lake, and
that our chase would result fruitlessly. We hauled in the first net, a
large hole in which convinced us that our supposition was correct. The
second net was in the same condition as the first. Disheartened by
our failure, we were hauling in the third, when we felt a strong
resistance. Several of the Indians began to drag it towards the bank,
and presently, to our great joy, we saw the cayman upon the surface
of the water. He was expiring. We threw over him several lassos of
strong cords, and when he was well secured, we drew him to land. It
was no easy matter to haul him up on the bank; the strength of forty
Indians hardly sufficed. When at last we had got him completely out
of the water, and had him before our eyes, we stood stupified with
astonishment, for it was a very different thing to see his body thus
and to see him swimming, when he was fighting against us. Mr. Russell,
a very competent person, was charged with his measurements. From the
extremity of his nostrils to th