HOW THE BLACKS FIGHT ALLIGATORS.

North Otago Times, 1 December 1904, Page 1 (Supplement)

HOW THE BLACKS FIGHT ALLIGATORS.

Of. late, ytiars 'alligators seem to Yie'itcijniriiijf a bad habit in' prowling nboul. our harbour foreshores at I'orl Darwin. Al dusk, reccully. an aboriginal, rejoicing in the name of Miihblchurru, etuployeil on a pearling lugger, divested hiinself of bis scanty attire with the intention of hnvlnir n di|>. lie was swimming', and was about mid-way between Da; shore and l.ho boat, when a Initio alligator suddenly arose alongside of him. The reptile struck .MuhblchuiTn on Hie side

ol the head with one of Ins lore, paws, one of the claws indicting a severe, injury, In the next instant il seized its victim in his jaws and inllieled some terrible wounds in the man's shoulder and back. Any white man similarly circumstanced would prohal ly have yielded up Ih« ghost forthwith. But Jlnbhieburra conies from a district where livers teem with alligators, and whose natives have, from time immemorial, waged ceaseless warfare against these reptiles, lIAIIiISItIvUITII KSCAFKS. Probably some, old Iribal stories of luiir-breatHli escapes from similar tight corners Hashed through his mind. In any case with great coolness and courage, he wriggled himself round nnd managed in insert his thumbs in the eye-sockets of the alligalor Willi such /urn! anil effect thai, the brute let go its hold and beat a temporary retreat. Miilililelmrra. (nrn and Weeding as he was. immediately dived to the bottom and struck out in I lie direction of the boat. Coming up occasionally for breath, be appears to have dodged the alligator and succeeded in scrambling into lli« dingy. As he did so. the brute, which had been following him, made a tush and bit through and broke, the painler of the boat—a now IJ-inch rope—within six inches of the stem. Mubbleburra broke a limb from one of tluj overhanging mangrove Lrees and paddled himself ashore. Questioned concerning his adventure later. Mubbleburra said: ".My word, suppose that one you strong pfeller alligator, mc die ipiick, that one old pfeller—no more too much strong quick pfeller." Mubbleburra is in a fair way towards complete recovery after his unique, or at least, sensational experience : but until he is planted away, in some tree in his linnl bark envelope, he will be able to show scars on his person attesting the truth of his tale.