Insects Of Carolina.
Allegators.
Rattle-Snakes.
Ground Rattle-Snakes.
Horn-Snakes.
Water-Snakes, Four Sorts.
Swamp Snakes Three Sorts.
Red-
Bellied Land-Snakes.
Red-back'd Snake.
Black Truncheon Snake.
Scorpion-Lizard.
Green Lizard.
Frogs, many sorts.
Long black Snake.
King-
Snake.
Green Snake.
Corn Snake.
Vipers black and gray.
Tortois.
Terebin Land and Water.
Brimstone-Snake.
Egg, or Chicken-Snake.
Eel-Snake, or great Loach.
Brown Lizard.
Rotten-wood Worm, &c.
{Strange Genitors.}
The Allegator is the same, as the Crocodile, and differs only in Name.
They frequent the sides of Rivers, in the Banks of which they make
their Dwellings a great way under Ground; the Hole or Mouth of their Dens
lying commonly two Foot under Water, after which it rises
till it be considerably above the Surface thereof. Here it is,
that this amphibious Monster dwells all the Winter, sleeping away his time
till the Spring appears, when he comes from his Cave, and daily swims
up and down the Streams. He always breeds in some fresh Stream,
or clear Fountain of Water, yet seeks his Prey in the broad Salt Waters,
that are brackish, not on the Sea-side, where I never met with any.
He never devours Men in Carolina, but uses all ways to avoid them,
yet he kills Swine and Dogs, the former as they come to feed in the Marshes,
the others as they swim over the Creeks and Waters. They are very mischievous
to the Wares made for taking Fish, into which they come to prey
on the Fish that are caught in the Ware, from whence they cannot
readily extricate themselves, and so break the Ware in Pieces,
being a very strong Creature. This Animal, in these Parts,
sometimes exceeds seventeen Foot long. It is impossible to kill them
with a Gun, unless you chance to hit them about the Eyes,
which is a much softer Place, than the rest of their impenetrable Armour.
They roar, and make a hideous Noise against bad Weather,
and before they come out of their Dens in the Spring. I was pretty much
frightened with one of these once; which happened thus: I had built a House
about half a Mile from an Indian Town, on the Fork of Neus-River,
where I dwelt by my self, excepting a young Indian Fellow, and a Bull-Dog,
that I had along with me. I had not then been so long a Sojourner
in America, as to be throughly acquainted with this Creature.
One of them had got his Nest directly under my House, which stood on
pretty high Land, and by a Creek-side, in whose Banks his Entring-place was,
his Den reaching the Ground directly on which my House stood.
I was sitting alone by the Fire-side (about nine a Clock at Night,
some time in March) the Indian Fellow being gone to the Town,
to see his Relations; so that there was no body in the House
but my self and my Dog; when, all of a sudden, this ill-favour'd
Neighbour of mine, set up such a Roaring, that he made the House shake
about my Ears, and so continued, like a Bittern, (but a hundred times louder,
if possible) for four or five times.
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