William Bartram's Tale

“ William Bartram’s travels through North and South Carolina, Georgia, East and West Florida, the Cherokee Country, the Extensive Territories of the Muscogulges, or Creek Confederacy, and the County of the Chactaws (1791)” Bartram explored the mangrove swamp seeing alligators, poisonous snakes, wolfs, wild-rat and bears. He was a joyful man who was inseparable from nature he was also very interested with the native people of the southeast. A quote with a I enjoyed to read with great word choice is “our place of observation is happily situated under the protecting shade of majestic live oaks, glorious magnolias, and the fragrant orange, open to the view of the great river and still waters of the lagoon just before us.” pg 65 Bartram loved

the winged species, he described how they have a greater number then man kind itself. He thought they were beautiful and delicate creatures. He described the detailed description of ugly grub being buried in mud under water in its own cell as well as getting food, water and air. So much description was written in his work it felt like I could imagine everything going on, almost like I was their with him.
What William Bartram talked about mostly in this passage was the Alligators.

He explored the swamps and came in close contact with these alligators, putting his camp ground on the highest grounds. The sounds of the roaring alligators would be so frightening they would keep him up at night at his camp site. Bartram described how their was so many alligators in the waters that you could step on all of their heads like stepping sones to get to land from your boat. Of course he did not do this because they were so dangerous. He managed to escape every time, he passed by the Battle lagoon with trembling fear of these creatures rushing out of the reeds darting under his boat, getting away while 100 alligators following him from behind. I could only imaging the fear of being attacked and being killed from their large three foot heads and three foot jaws, filled with scary teeth. These alligators ranged from twenty to twenty three feet. The reason for all of the roaring is because all of the mating occurs in the spring when males try to attract the females. I learned a lot about alligators from this reading, just like how the mothers are so protective of their young and the sounds of the babies whining and barking like puppies. It surprised me that Bartram step foot near this nests that have been abandoned with old shells left behind. One of the very detailed pages that I enjoyed reading would be page sixty seven, with very descriptive passages of watching the alligators and almost being

attacked.