RIDING A WILD ALLIGATOR.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1037, 30 November 1882, Page 3

RIDING A WILD ALLIGATOR.

A scene took place at Lochlooea Station on the Peninsular railroad, recently, which for genuine excitement; and aensation will completely lay in the shade the best. Spanish bull-fight cn record. A party of men on the wharf saw a large alligator about a hundred yards out in the lake, gently reposing amid the ripp'e that a gentle breeze wan making. Some of the party got into a boat, carrying with them a small harpoon hook, and rowed out to the alligator. When at a convenient dintance the harpoon was thrown, and with unerring aim made its way into the beast just behind the right foreleg No sooner than this was done, while the alligator was raging in the waters in its most powerful efforts to relsase itself, one of the parly, a Mr Poeev, a man probably 50 years of age, leaped into the lake, swam to the rear of the roaring and surging monster, got, on its back, grabbed it round the neck and rode to the land amid the shouts of those who were fortunate enough to witness the exciting scene. When measured the monster was found to be 10ft 6iu long. Strange to ray, after Mr Posey had backed him and grappled him around the neck, the beast was almost entirely subdued. A lew lunges and he quietly followed the tightening of the rope until ho reached the shore, a tamer but greatly confused alligator. His mouth was then muzzled and a rope tied around his belly, and he was hauled up on the platform at the depot. When the afternoon tiain came alongthepns sengers got out to look at the beast and its valiant capter, and then another scene took place quite as exciting and extraordinary ns the one in the water. Posey got on the ’gator to ride it for the entertainment of the crowd. After much tickling and spurring he aroused the animal into a desperate struggle for freedom, and everybody expected to see some one literally chewed up and swallowed by it. In the melee it snapped the ropes that were bound round its long and brutal mouth, and then, making a dash for the ground, it was swung by a rope, tied by its body and fastened to a post. It soon broke this, and fell heavily to the ground, when it put out for the lake. But it was scarcely landed before Posey was on its back, when a struggle ensued between man and alligator that could scarcely have its parallel in the arena of acrobatic action.

The crowd scattered »t the appalling sc«ne, and men there, who, if a fist -fight with alligators were a feasible and practicable thing, would be strong enough for the business, exclaimed that the world bad not treasure enough to enter such a struggle. Yet in a few minutes Posey was master of the situation, the sausian was conquered, and lay as quietly under the grasp of its conqueror as if instead of being 4001bs of real alligator, it was the most cowardly cur. A shout of victory went up for Posey, and the parties went to his assistance, and again tying and securing the animal, the job was completed, and the hero of the fight offered his prisoner in the market for the trifling sura of XOdols