(17)
it. We went to work, bent new top ſails to our Yards and left our Convoy behind. In a little Time we made all ſnug, and in a ſhort ſpace ran out of the Sight of Land, purſuing our Voyage, and had ſtormy Weather and contrary Winds frequently, through the whole of our Paſſage, being under great Apprehenſions too of every Sail we ſaw, thinking they might be French Privateers; however in nine Weeks Time we got ſight of Land, to our great Joy; being ſo beaten by the Weather, that we had not a ratling upon one of our Shrouds, and our Fore-ſails beat too. The firſt Land we ſaw was Cape Faro, our Captain looked into the Map to ſee what Land it was; and when he knew, we altered our Courſe, the Wind being E. N. E. we ſailed right before it, and next Morning a Pilot came aboard of us a few Leagues without Charles Town, who carried us in, and we came to an Anchor off Charles Town Wharf.
We delivered our Cargo, but could not get a Fright, ſo we ſailed for Cape Faro and came into Wilmington Town. Here I ſaw an Alligator. Which was killed by a Ship Carpenter belonging to Leith, who was ſettled there with his Family. This monſtrous Creature was thirty-ſix foot long⟨.⟩ And when opened there was found in its Belly a whole and entire Deer, with large branching Horns upon his Head.
The Crocodile and Alligator ſeem to be one and the ſame Animal, at different Ages. They are amphibious, and live both at Land and in the water. It has two fierce glaring Eyes, and carries its Head high above the water when ſwimming, and will look the Sailors fiercely in the face. It lies amongſt the Marſhes on the Banks of Ri-ve⟨rs,⟩
