of
us lost two ounces of our best blood. About three o'clock in the morning,
the man who had the watch pulled me by the arm and pointed to something
dark floating near the boat. I awoke the lieutenant, who, after yawning
and rubbing his eyes, for he had taken an extra strong north-wester the
evening before to make himself sleep sound, took up his fowling-piece; but
he might as well have fired at the best bower anchor--the swan-shot with
which it was loaded glanced from the object at an angle of twenty-five
degrees. We weighed the grapnel, and were soon in pursuit, when we saw two
other black-looking objects. We steadily gave chase to the first, the
lieutenant, myself and the coxswain firing at and frequently striking it,
but without any visible effect. At length it landed, when we found it was
an alligator about fifteen feet long. It soon ploughed up the mud in which
it buried itself; our musket-balls were unavailing. The other two had also
landed. On turning the boat round, we saw another, and as he was with his
head towards us, we had a better chance. We stretched out, and when within
a few yards of him, let fly our muskets at his head. One of the balls
struck him in the left eye, which stunned him, and he lay insensible on
the water until we reached him. We threw a rope round him and towed him
astern, after having given him another ball in the throat, which
despatched him. He was a young one, nine feet four inches long. After
rowing round the lake in search of fresh adventures, and finding none, we
amused ourselves by cutting off several branches of the mangrove trees
strung with oysters, and being tired of rowing where there was so little
novelty, we turned the boat's nose towards the river, on reaching which we
again startled numerous flocks of screaming birds, five of which we shot;
but as they were only noddies and boobies, we did not take the trouble to
pick them up. At 4 P.M. we joined the ship, with our prizes, the
alligators, their eggs, the heron, and the oysters. The doctor, who was
something of a naturalist, asked for the alligator we had shot, one of the
young ones, and the bird, and shortly afterwards he had them stuffed. We
had now but five slight scurvy cases, and had only buried three seamen and
one marine, who died two days after our anchoring. The boats were employed
nearly two days in bringing up oranges, limes and yams, besides other
fruit.

CHAPTER VII.