From Redd’s
journal, 1914: “Ever since being invited to accompany President Roosevelt on
his tour of the Amazon, I’ve found myself utterly captivated by the man and his
sense of the hunt. This afternoon, we stalked a crocodile along the riverbank,
lurking in the thick greens of the jungle bush, battling mosquitoes and a
variety of other nasties without name. The beast eluded us for nearly six
hours, slipping in and out of the muddy waters, and I was on the verge of
despair when Roosevelt called out to me in a booming whisper: ‘Redd. Stay
absolutely still.’
Teddy Roosevelt (left) during a 1914 tour of the Amazon rainforest
I froze.
Immediately to my right, the crocodile lay waiting—twelve feet long, teeth
bared. I stepped backward. The beast lay still.
It seems we’d found
our game. ‘What do you think?’ I asked the President. ‘Shall I shoot?’
‘Hmm.’ He lowered
his rifle. ‘Perhaps we ought to give the croc his victory.’
‘Suits me,’ I said.
‘I’m much more disposed to chasing some of the indigenous ladies.’
We left the reptile
in peace. That night, I found the only game I ever needed on the beach, by the
glittering sea—a lady in my arm, and a coconut in each hand.”
Sea/Kelly Green
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