The "'Gator"
BY CLARENCE B. MOORE
The alligator, or "'gator," as it is usually called throughout its home,the Southern States, is an object of great curiosity at the North. Everywinter many tourists visit Florida and carry back baby alligators,together with more or less magnified accounts of the creature's doingsand habits, and their stories are probably the cause of this verywidespread interest.
Though the alligator is rapidly disappearing from the banks of the lowerSt. John's River, in Lake Washington and in the Saw Grass Lake (wherethat river has its source), and in waters still farther south, they arestill to be found in almost undiminished numbers, and are hunted for aliving by native hunters. They are commonly sought at night, bytorch-light, for in this way they can be approached with the utmostease.
THE ALLIGATOR HUNTERS IN THEIR CAMP.]
A rifle-ball will readily penetrate an alligator's hide, although thereexists an unfounded belief to the contrary. The creatures will "stand adeal of killing," however, and frequently roll off a bank and are losteven after being shot through and through.
The alligator builds a nest of mud and grass, and lays a large number ofoblong white eggs, but the little ones when hatched often serve as lunchfor their unnatural papa, and this cannibalism, more than the rifle,prevents their numbers from increasing. The alligator is not particularas to diet. I once found the stomach of a ten-footer to be literallyfilled with pine chips from some tree which had been felled near theriver's bank! They are fond of wallowing in marshes, and many a man outsnipe shooting has taken an involuntary bath by stumbling into theirwallows. In dry seasons alligators will traverse long distances overlandto reach water, and travelers have come suddenly upon alligatorscrawling amid prairies or woods, in the most unexpected manner. Thealligator as a rule is very wary, but at times sleeps quite soundly. Isaw one struck twice with an oar before it woke.
The Haunt of the "Gator".]
There is a very prevalent impression that the alligator differs from thecrocodile in that one moves the upper jaw and the other the lower. Such,however, is not the case. Both animals move the lower jaw, though theraising of the head as the mouth opens sometimes gives the appearanceof moving the upper jaw only. But alligators and crocodiles differ inthe arrangement of the teeth, and the snout of the crocodile is moresharply pointed.
The hides are salted to preserve them and are shipped to dealers inJacksonville, where those less than six feet long are worth a dollar,while for those which exceed this length twenty-five cents extra isallowed. A fair estimate of the number of alligators killed for sale inFlorida alone, and not counting those shot by tourists, would be tenthousand annually. One hears very conflicting reports as to the lengthof large alligators. A prominent dealer in Jacksonville said that out often thousand hides handled by him none were over twelve feet long. I amtold that at the Centennial, side by side with a crocodile from theNile, there was shown an alligator from Florida sixteen feet in length.
Years ago near a place called Enterprise, on a point jumping into LakeMonroe, during all bright days a certain big alligator used to liebasking in the sun. He was well known to the whole neighborhood. Theentire coterie of sportsmen at the only hotel used to call him "BigBen," and proud hunters would talk, and even dream, of the time when awell-aimed rifle-shot would end his long career. But Big Ben was ascunning as a serpent, and whenever any one, afoot or afloat, cameunpleasantly near, he would slide off into the water,--which meant"good-by" for the rest of the day.
One fine morning one of these sportsmen, paddling up the lake, luckilywith his rifle in his canoe, came upon Big Ben so sound asleep that hestole up within range and put a bullet through the alligator's brain.What to do next was a problem. He could not tow the monster all the wayto Enterprise with his small canoe. A bright idea struck him. He put hisvisiting-card in the beast's mouth and paddled swiftly back. A number ofhunters were at the wharf, and the slayer of Big Ben hastened to informthem with apparent sincerity that while out paddling he had come withineasy range of the "'gator," who was, no doubt, still lying motionless onthe point. A flotilla of boats and canoes, manned by an army withrifles, instantly started for the point. To avoid confusion it wasunanimously agreed that all should go down together, and that the entireparty, if they were lucky enough to find Big Ben still there, shouldfire a volley at the word of command. As they approached the point,the hearts of all beat quickly; and when, with straining eyes, they sawBig Ben apparently asleep and motionless upon the bank, even the coolestcould scarcely control his feelings. The boats were silently drawn upwithin easy shot, and the word was given. Bang, bang! went a score ofrifles and Big Ben, riddled with bullets, lay motionless upon the point!With a cheer of triumph the excited sportsmen leaped ashore, andfastening a rope around the dead alligator, speedily towed him toEnterprise. There the original slayer awaited them upon the wharf. WhenBig Ben was laid upon the shore, opening the animal's mighty jaws hedisclosed his visiting-card, and thanked them most politely for theirkindness in bringing his 'gator home for him.
A QUIET NAP ON THE RIVER BANK.]
I once met with a curious adventure. Man is rarely attacked byalligators in Florida, except by the female alligator called upon todefend her young. Some years ago, in a small steamer chartered for thepurpose, I had gone up a branch of the St. John's beyond Salt Lake untilwe could proceed no farther, because the top of the river had becomesolid with floating vegetation under which the water flowed. We tied upfor the night, and shortly after were boarded by two men who saidthat their camp was near by and that they shot alligators andplume-birds for a living. One of the men carried his rifle, amuzzle-loader, and from its barrel projected the ramrod, which hadbecome fast immediately above the ball while loading. He intended todraw it out after they should return to camp.
CATCHING AN ALLIGATOR ASLEEP.]
We went ashore with these men to look at an alligator's nest near by,and were filling our pockets with baby-alligators, when we heard agrunting sound and saw an alligator eight or nine feet long comingdirectly at us. With the exception of the man already referred to, wewere all unarmed and affairs began to look a little unpleasant, for thecreature evidently meant mischief. When it was within a few feet, theman with the rifle, knowing that he alone had a weapon, took deliberateaim and fired bullet, ramrod, and all down the 'gator's throat. Theanimal turned over twice, and rolling off the bank, sank out of sight.
The alligators of the Amazon River in South America are very numerous,and owing to scarcity of hunters attain a very great size. In the upperwaters apparently they are entirely unaccustomed to the report offirearms, and if not actually hit will lie still while shot after shotis fired. The largest I ever killed and measured was thirteen feet andfour inches in length; but this was much smaller than many which I shotfrom dugouts and canoes too far away from shore to tow them in.
Buried an inch deep in one of these dead alligators I once found apirana, that troublesome fish which makes swimming in some parts of theAmazon a risky matter. It bores into flesh very much after the manner ofa circular punch, and when it starts, its habit is to go to the bone.The pirana of course could not penetrate the hide of the alligator, butentering by the bullet-hole it had turned to one side and partiallyburied itself in the flesh. I have seen men bearing very ugly scars, theresults of wounds inflicted by the pirana while they were bathing. Ifthis fish is cut open after having bored its way into an animal a solidround mass of flesh will be found inside corresponding to the hole ithas made, showing that the fish really bores its way in.
ONE OF THE "BIG FELLOWS."]
It is said that the alligator of the Amazon is more likely to attack manthan its brother of our Southern States. The captain of a small steamerrunning between Iquitos and Para, told me that on the preceding triphe had carried to a doctor a boy who had lost his arm from the bite ofan alligator, while allowing his arm to hang in the water from a raft.The same captain, however, also informed me that he had been treed byone of these animals and compelled to
remain "up a tree" for some time;so that I have some hesitation in quoting him as an authority upon thenature and habits of these alligators. The flesh of young alligators isconsidered a delicacy in Brazil and is regularly sold in the markets.