A Terrible Alligator Story.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 229, 19 November 1887, Page 3

A Terrible Alligator Story.

A writer in the Kao York Sen describes how a surveying party, of which he was a member, was impeded and annoyed by alligators in the mouths of the Ganges, These reptiles, he says, several times attacked their boats in broad daylight, and they lived in constant dread of thorn. One e\ ciiing as a party ot six (two whites and four native?, wero returning in a boat from exploring a lagoon, alligators began to rise to the surface around them in great numbers and they landei on an island to save themselves, "1 do not believe," the writer say?, " 1 exaggerate m the least when I say that there were 200 of the saurians splashing about us when wo landed. Indeed, the two of u^ were using our firearms to keep 'em off while the natives pulled for the shore. We had two double-barrelled shotguns, but not ever a dozen charges of ammunition, and we used half of those before the boat landed. The island was a bit of spongy land not over fifty feel across, with three or four small trees growing in the centie. I had never seen the natives so badly rattled. The moment the boat touched the ground they sprung ashore and van to the centre of the island ; and, in their haste to abandon the craft, fuoof the oara were allowed to go overboard and float away. It .seemed for a moment as it the reptiles meant to ciawl right over us ; but the lla?h of the guns and the death of three or four of them produced something of a scare, and after a bit they drew away fiom the boat. I stood up on the thwa t and looked aiound in the twilight, and it ceemed to me that the water all around the little island was alive with our enemies. They swam here and there, they turned and twisted and lashed the water : and the odour of their bodies and the mud soon became almost unbearable. It was plain enough that we could not stop long on that bit of land, and we called to the natives to return to tho boat and be off. The poor wretches had no courage left, and they began to cry and whimper lilec children. We threatenend to turn our guns on them if they did not obey orders, and then they came running to the boat. The oars which had gone overboaid had floated away and coukt not be recovered, and when they discovered this the most intelligent of them said, ' You do not understand these reptiles. They are so fierce and hungry, a-id are so bold by night that they will even climb into the boat. "Any one can upset us by a blow of his tail.' ' What would you advise ?' I asked. ' That all go ashore and to the other end of the island. We will attract the crocodiles to that locality, and then return herein all haste and row away.' The plan was the only one which promised lelief, and in two minutes after it was propo-ed, we were hurrying to the lower end of the island. The saurians pursued us iv both channels, thrashing the water in a teniolu way, and we had scaicely stopped when a full score of them attempted to land, and would ha\e done so had we not driven them back by the fire of our guns. The four natives removed their hats and shirts, rolled them into four respective bundles, and at a signal these were tossed far out into the lagoon. There was a terrific ru&h of tho icptiles, and at the same moment we seiuried for the boat and pushed of)'. We had n'eely outwitted the enemy, and as we starts iway the two enrsmen pulled a stout sti ... We were 300 feet from the island, and upmost in the river, when there was a sudden shock which threw us all down, and two ot the natives went overboard. We had struck a snag and stove our boat, and the water rushed iv so fast that &ho swamped inside two minutes. The four natives set up a dismal wait, and started off in a body to swim to the island. Had they swam quietly they might have reached it ; but the poor fellows were half crazed with fear, and they splashed the water about and kept up a sort of wailing, and the alligators were at once put on the scent. ' Great God ! but we are to be eaten alive !' gasped my companion, as ths boat settled down with us. ' Don't follow,' 1 warned, as he prepared to strike out after the natives. 'If we have any show at all, it is in drifting out into the river with the boat. ' The gunwales of the boat were awash and we were both in the water clinging to the craft, ho on one side and I on the other. There was a sluggish current there but we had not drifted 30ft from the snag when we heard the shrieks and screams of the natives as the reptiles rushed upon them. There was a terrible fight over the victims, and the waves kicked up helped to drive us from the locality, and were probably the mean 3 of saving our lives. After the first few words neither of us spoke. Any attempt to cheer and encourage would have been a mockery. The moment we were sighted by a saurian our time had come. ks we drifted slowly along one passed me by not more than ten feet as he made for the island, and for a few seconds I was blind with terror. Foot by foot we drifted away, and at length struck the current of the river, and it was not five minutes latex; when a boat from the steamer picked us up. They had heard the firing and l>now that we were in trouble but had come too late to save our helpers fiom a terrible death."

The engineer of an ocean steamer— a North Briton, on being asked lately why it was that the chief .engineer of almost all ihe fine steamers afloat were Scotchmen, answered, { Weel,ye see,, the Etish are just quite dot p' the qiies- J tion ; and, as for the English', somehoo or ither it's no in them/ ' " ' v