The capture of the caiman as depicted in the Sturgis & Walton edition of The Wanderings.

The cayman (or caiman) incident occurred during the Third Wandering on the River Essequibo. The scene is depicted below. For the story of the capture, click here. Read about Charles Waterton and the Leeds Literary and Philosophical Society, click here.

Edwin Jones was a friend from Waterton's schooldays at Tudhoe, Waterton's preparatory school. Together with the Squire, Jones climbed to the top of St Peter's, Rome in 1817.

Jones also designed the door knockers on the front door of Walton Hall. He last visited the Hall in 1844, his eyesight was by then failing and he became blind in 1846. (Pictures of the door knockers are on this page, click here.)

The original painting is at Stonyhurst College, where Waterton completed his education in an environment more congenial to him than Tudhoe. The cayman is in the Wakefield Museum, Wood Street.

Richard Hobson wrote: When the "South American Wanderings" made its appearance, his mounting the cayman, as stated in that volume, was disbelieved by many; but this denial of believe arose from two mistaken causes, which are, I think, easy of explanation. The former misconception proceeded from a want of knowledge of the man, whose powers, activity, courage, and determination, were not sufficiently known, and had not, even by his intimate friends, been duly appreciated; the latter mistake arose from want of coolly reflecting on the utterly powerless condition of the cayman, when mounted. When I say utterly powerless, I must explain that an immense hook, baited with raw flesh, and securely affixed to the end of a strong rope, had been swallowed by the cayman, and that the peculiarly barbed construction of this hook prevented the possibility of its being returned through the mouth - that several natives along with Mr Waterton's own black servant, had command of the rope, by which they had drawn this saurian reptile from his natural element on to dry ground, where, of course he was neither at home nor at ease. Now, if a man perform the more difficult, and the more dangerous of two feats, we should give him credit for being able to accomplish the less difficult, and the one attended with less danger.

The Squire, in reference to some doubts publicly expressed, as to his ever mounted the cayman at all, observed to a friend, in my presence "Previously to the publication of 'The Wanderings', it was at one time my intention to place on the first page of the work a quotation from Ovid; but I now rejoice that I did not do so, as it might have prevented those ungenerous remarks, which have evidently been disgorged from a malevolently bilious stomach, and consequently highly gratifying to those illiberal sceptics at my expense. The quotation is:-

'Facta canam; sed erunt qui me fixxisse loquantur.'

'I shall sing of facts, but there will be some to say that I have invented fiction.' "

Our friend remarked, "Probably these critics have never seen either you or a cayman." "Of course not," rejoined the Squire, "They condemn that which they do not understand," "damnant quod non intelligunt." Let this, then, be the basis on which to form an opinion, and be the ground-work of our decision, as to the credibility, of a feat, so much questioned at the time of its publication.

I will now describe a far more daring exploit, performed by the Squire at my house, than his mounting the then powerless and terrified cayman. The heroic act to which I allude was witnessed by many of my professional brethren, as well as by myself.Richard Hobson [2] >> The Rattlesnakes

Wrestling with the likes of crocodiles, alligators and caymen looks decidely risky, even when carried out by an expert - such as this chap at Gatorland, Florida. He was an expert but he certainly treated his adversary with respect. Oner wrong move and something painful could happen!

Both man and alligator survived this display without apparent harm.

[Click image to enlarge.]

Charles Waterton's cayman on display in Wakefield Museum. Why not visit the museum for a better view? (Find out more about Wakefield Museum at http://www.wakefield.gov.uk)

On top of the staircase (at Walton Hall) is the veritable cayman mentioned in "Wateron's Wanderings", and on which the Squire was mounted in Essequebo, after being caught by a shoulder of mutton bait, and when under the control of the natives and his own servant. Here you see the actual line and hook which captured and safely secured this alligator in the river, and by which he was dragged on to terra firma, evidently much against his own inclination, now that he was favoured with a barbed hook in his stomach, by which his man-eating propensities were doubtless thoroughly subdued. Richard Hobson [3]