Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1851-05-21
The Crocodile Battery.

! Inc East lnUleS was the scene OF liz
following interesting but terrible triumph
of scientific knowledge. "NuNa" is th'
name applied to small river "-Npgger,'
a crocodile .Sidioo, was native servan
who had been dcvourcd by 4 crocodile.1
l had observed, when blasting tie snags
that the conclusion produced by the dis
charge had the effect of killing all the fisl
within a range of some twenty or thirty
yards. After every explosion, they were
found in great numbers, floating on The
surface Of TIE water, with their BELLE.
uppcrmost It now occurred to me, thai
if We could only get within a meleratt
distance O the Muggcr, if We did rot blow
him to pieces we would at all events give
him shock that would rather astonish
him. An explosion Of gunpowder undo,
water communicates much scvercr shock
to the objects in its immediate vicinity,
than the same quantity of powder explo-
ded in the air the greater density of the
water enabling it, as it were, to give Il
harder blow.
Having made our arrangements, Mr..
Hall, my brother, and myself, got into a
small canoe, with the blasting apparatus
on board, and dropt down TIE stream to
where the nulla discharges its waters into
the Rohan. He then got out and proceed
ed to village close by,wherc We obtained
for few annas, the carcass of young
kid A flask with about six pounds of
gunpowder, and having the conducting
wires attached, was then sewn into the
kids belly. Two strong ropes were also
tied to this bate ; and to one of these the
conducting wire was firmly bound with
small cord. The ropes were about thirty
yards long, and had each attached to It's
ext-enitics one of the inflated goat-skins
used by water carriers. Hall, with his
goat-skin under his arm, and coil of
loose rope in his hand, took one side of the
nulla, while my brother, similarly provi-
ded, took the other. Ny brothers rope
contained the wire so l walked beside
him, while two coolies, with the battery
ready charged and slung to a pole which
rested on their shoulders, accompanied
me. A small float was also attached by
string to the kid SO as to indicate its po-
sition.
These arrangements being made, We
commenced walking up the nulla, dragging
the carcass of the kid in the stream, and
moving it across, from side to side, so as
to leave no part of the bed untried and,
as the nulla was only about twelve yards
wide, we felt pretty confident that, if the
Mugger were in it, We could scarcely fail
Of coming in contact with him. We had
proceeded only about a quarter of a mile,
when the float suddenly dipt. My brother
and Hall threw the loose coil of ropes they
carried on the water, along with the intla-
ted skins. These made it soon evident by
their motion that the Muggcr had seized
the kid. He was dashing across, in zig
gag direction, down the stream. l ran
after him as fast as l could, and paying
out the cord from the reel when found it
to keep up with kirl. On
a place where the banks were
sleeper than usual, he came to a stand
still. I got on the top Of the bank, and
hauling in the rope. did
not, however, venture to lift the skin out
If the water, for fear of disturbing him;
Until the coolies with the battery had time
o come up. This was a very anxious
ime for, if the Mugger had shifted his
quarters before they came up, fresh run
With him would have ensued, with the
,hance Of his breaking the wires with his
eeth. After while l heard the coolies
approaching, and my brother Seeding them,
md urging them to hasten ON. Just as
heir heads appeared above the bank, the
oremost cOolic trirped his feet and fell
,roancd with disappointment Presently,
ny brother came along with them, and
'rought the battery to my feet good
Ieal of the acid had been split, but, with
he aid Of bottle of fresh acid we had
rought along with us, VIC soon got the
artery up to the requisite power. Every
hing being now in order, commenced
ulling up the rope with the wire. l pro-
ecded as cautiously as possible for fear Of
isturbing the Mugger; but, in spite of all
ny efforts, the inflated skin, in coming up
he bank, dislodgcd some loose pcices o.
arth, and sent them splashing into the
'ater. Fortunately, however, the Mugger
ad made up his mind to digest the lid
here he was. could rot help cEuckling S
hen I at length got hold of the wires. I
While my brother was fastening one Of I
,em to the battery, l got the other ready
,r completing the ciscuit. The Muggcr g
L the while lying still at tie bottom Of t
10 nulla with. most likely, a couple of {