The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-07-30
g,asCsDlLE
1. xxtines Lsuisiass menssss.

know oil crOCOd1leBf let That Sucn IN
animal once lived among US and devas-
tatcd our fields and our homes, we have
the best evidence, the word Of every re-
spectacle traveller that ever visited
Louisiana. Tho animal IL gone, ex-
tinct-more's the pityl--and we have
now nothing TO recall his memory but q
large, lazy, ugly and clumsy animal, so
appropriately styled by the Spanish
al Lagarto, the lizard, the big lizard.
Our alligator can hardly by descend
ant Of the fierce crocodile, once such q
scourge to Louisiana. It has inherited
none OF the ideas or customs Of that rep
tile, none Of It's ferocity and savageness.
Bartram found these crocodies 80
dangerous In Florida and Louisiana
that he warned oil his readers against
bathing alone in cool, solitary and
shady places; 1t was almost certain
death. The best description, tho most
authentic and veraeious ever given OF
this now extinct animal, was by nj. Bos-
su, who favored US with visit about
the year ITO. He has devoted an en-
tire chapter OF his book, Voyages In
| Louisiana to q careful study aud in
According to him, the crocodile was n
mighty animal, ranging In length, when
| full grown, from sixteen to twenty feet.
He was exceedingly crafty and clever
when he reached full maturity; that Is,
an aye of two or more centuries. When
he wished d little fresh meat he would
quietly close his eyes, pretend TO be
asleep, twist up his tail securely and lay
himself away In some quiet and secure
nook, "the counterfeit presentment" OF
an old log.
In this stratagem he always succeed.
ed. A passer-by could only discover
the true nature OF the beast by close
and minute examination, and frequent
ly commenced chopping him up fol
kindling, before he detected his error.
Then would the crafty crocodile open
his eyes. wink most significantly and
make for that man. There was no hope
for the latter unless he fully understood
the nature Of the crocodile and fol-
lowed M. Bossu's advice. This was to
run, FIRST to one side and then to the
other. so as to make the clumsy brute
turn around and around u very difficult
feat for him to perform, aud which
eventually made him 80 dizzy that he
finally rolled over and allowed his
threatened victim TO escape. IT. how
ever, the man did not understand the
ways Of crocodies and darted straight.
| forward, he was doomed, as the reptile
| in such u race, was swifter than the
fastest race horse. If caught In the
water. there was no possible escape
and M. Bossu cody suggested to his
readers to follow the example Of 9
| French officer who was, when caught
bathing one day in Mobile Bay, sensi
bly,. sacrificed his right arm to the ami.
NAL, thus gaining time enough to e.
cape whilst the animal was lunchine
on 1t.
Negroes were more likely to fall vic
tins TO his appetite than white men q
popularity which M. Bossu attributes
to the peculiar odor Of tho negro
but which he would have better ex
planned were he living in these troublouI
DAYS. The crocodile being u nativ'
Louisianian, of one Of the Oldest fami
les, what more natural to him, accord
Ing to the school OF Morton Il Co., thar
a taste for raw negroes.
Such were the brute's ways with hu
man beings; with animals he was no
so. He would swim up to whore TIN
cattle were drinking, and grasping
couple OF oxen by the throat, drag then
off TO some quiet and secluded spot
where. alone and undisturbed, he nigh
devour them. Hogs were his favorit
delicacy, but he would not decline al
OK or buffalo.
When he had tasted long time an
was really hungry he became bold an
more ferocious, forsook his reedy be
and secured the country far anC wide i
search of man, or Ok, or pig. 1t wa
, famished condition. Hundreds fel
|, | x,t,ts,,o "a hia anVuUanpSg ~ wrltea I'M
, Bossu.
This man eating crocodile was dis
!, tinguIshed from the ordinary ones b
/ having little green spot or sprig 0
his shoulders-a sort OF tombstone
: the memory OF the deceased.
The eggs OF the animal were hatche
by steam. The knowing crocodile laye
> its eggs In the water exposed to the he
sun, 80 that the heat OF the sun warme
D the water and boiled out the youn
[ crocodile. The anxious mother was
Y the meanwhile waiting near to protet
her offspring from the father, who wa
an unworthy, Cannibalistic fellow, Liz
old Saturn, and relished his own of
! spring for dinner.
They swan alongside Of their mothe
!, and when any danger threatened then
sought refuge in her jaws, or even crel
. further down and found a secure retret
y in her stomach, on the express thong
tacit understanding that they were ne
:. to interfere with any OF her intern'
arrangements.
y Such are a few OF the facts narrate
: by M. Bossu and other travellers OF b
. day, and which we should be sorry
:, see naturalists lose altogether. TT
!, animal is unfortunately extinct nov
. . but existed in our State as late as tt
. year 1880. In that year Con Cregan,
- child OF the novelist Lever and an Iris
e Sindbad, whose adventures were t;
y more marvellous than those OF the hel
Of the Arabian Nights, visited 0,
shores. At that time Louisiana was i
# vested by crocodiles; the bayous we
& so full that Con and his friends hesitate
Z, to cross a small stream full OF the
o dangerous reptiles until, like Aerxe
d they had dashed it we'll with ropes
l. order to frighten away the crocodiles.
IS Since that he has mysteriously va
y ished, gone to join others OF our olde
le and best.