“Well!” said Martin, in an under-tone, “you did it that time, Barney.  I verily thought the old fellow was hanged.  He became quite livid in the face.”

“Och! bad luck to the lasso, say I. May I niver more see the swate groves o’ Killarney if iver I meddle with wan again.”

“Hi-i; you is fuss rate,” said Sambo, as he and his comrades returned and busied themselves in cutting up the dead alligators.  “You beat de Niggers all to not’ing.  Not any of dis yere chiles eber lasso Sen’or Antonio yet; no, neber!”

It was some time before the Negroes could effectually subdue their merriment, but at length they succeeded, and applied themselves vigorously to the work of cutting out the fat.  The alligators were all cut open,—­a work of no small difficulty, owing to the hard scales which covered them as with coats of mail; then the fat, which accumulates in large quantities about the intestines, was cut out and made up into packets in the skins of the smaller ones, which were taken off for this purpose.

These packets were afterwards carried to the Senhor’s dwelling, and the fat melted down into oil, which served for burning in lamps quite as well as train oil.  The flesh of a smaller species of alligator, some of which were also taken, is considered excellent food; and, while the Negroes were engaged in their work, Barney made himself useful by kindling a large fire and preparing a savoury dish for “all hands,” plentifully seasoned with salt and pepper, with which condiments the country is well supplied, and of which the people are exceedingly fond.

There was also caught in this lake a large species of fish called pirarucu, which, strangely enough, found it possible to exist in spite of alligators.  They were splendid creatures, from five to six feet long, and covered with large scales more than an inch in diameter, which were beautifully marked and spotted with red.  These fish were most delicately flavoured, and Barney exerted his talents to the utmost in order to do them justice.  Martin also did his best to prove himself a willing and efficient assistant, and cleaned and washed the pirarucu steaks and the junks of alligator-tail to admiration.  In short, the exertions of the two strangers in this way quite won the hearts of the Negroes, and after dinner the Senhor Antonio had quite recovered his good humour.

While staying at this place Martin had an opportunity of seeing a great variety of the curious fish with which the Amazon is stocked.  These are so numerous that sometimes, when sailing up stream with a fair wind, they were seen leaping all round the canoe in shoals, so that it was only necessary to strike the water with the paddles in order to kill a few.