Seized by an Alligator.

Evening Star, Issue 7484, 31 March 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

Seized by an Alligator.

In her book on pioneering life in South Australia, Mrs Dominic D. Daly tells the following:—"The waters of Port Darwin were not free from the dreaded enemy always to be met with in the tropics. Alligators were very numerous ; in fact, the harbor was infested by them. One poor fellow was taken by an alligator during my sojourn under the following painful circumstances : Disregarding the standing order against bathing, a young trooper named Davis, a great swimmer, and a smart, active man, went for a swim early one morning. He had been some time in the water when he saw what he imagined to be a log floating quietly down the harbor with the tide. It was a mo3t common thing to see enormous trees and logs of wood ccme down the harbor with the ebb; and to watch the same timber and debris return with the flood was somewhat of an occupation. There is a great similarity between a log and an alligator when in the water—both float, just showing the merest outline above the water. Foor Davis saw to his utter horror when he drew nearer that it was an alligator, but it was hopeless to escape, though he tried to do so, and immediately made for the shore. At this moment his danger was seen from the deck of the Gulnare, and the men called out to him to 'go back.' It was, however, too late; for, as Davis turned his face towards the shore, the monster came swiftly behind him, and stretching his cruel yawning jaws over him imprisoned the poor victim's head within their deadly clasp, and in a moment had disappeared carrying Davis with him. Boats were lowered and the water beaten and splashed with oars, but no sign of the poor young fellow was to be seen, We hardly expected to find his body, although a diligent search was begun at once; and a few hours afterwards it was discovered lying on the edge of a reef a little distance down the harbor. His neck was broken; the cruel teeth of the alligator had seized his forehead, and on each temple was a deep punctured wound. No further injury was done to the body. Evidently the brute was frightened by the noise from the boats, and had dropped his prey in shallow water, instead of carrying, as alligators generally do, the victim into deep water to some lair of their own, from whence it is never recovered."