Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1885-04-09
Catching Crocodiles.

Catching Crocodtles.
The New Orleans Times Democra
translates from French journal the fol
lowing description of the singular man
ner in which crocodiles are captured il
Cambodia: ~
On the 10th of February, 1878, after
long voyage through Burmah, Tenasrim
and the kingdom of Siam, reached
Pnom-Penh, capitol of the Kingdom o.
Cambodia.
I bore with me letter to King Moro
dom. / will spare you all descriptions
of Pnom-Penh, as well as of my recep
ton by his majesty. What l promised
you was the history of crocodile hum
here it is:
I had been well received at court
After having been kindly treated by the
king, all his ministers did their utmost
to give me pleasant welcome. Severa
servants had been placed at my disposal
and also one of the court-carriages with
fine team of thoroughbred Birmanese
/ horses.
I did not fail to inform my hosts OF
my passion for the chase, and for three
months they had spoiled me like child
Every day some hunting party or Other
had been arranged for my benefit. From
the nelicourvi--a peculiar sort of little
crane which never saw anywhere else
except among the lakes and shallow
streams of Siam or Cambodia-to the
royal tiger itself, had hunted almost
every sort of creature
One morning on returning from my
early drive I found awaiting me the sails
of the prime minister, who said to ne:
'Tabe, Thouannl'' Good day, my
lord).
"Tabe, sais~ Good day, servltor)
replied. "Who sends youa"
my master invites you to call upon
him forthwith, at his palace"
''Forthwith-now2''
eyes, my lord"
81 60"
And ordering my coachman to follow
the Sais, who had started off at run, ]
soon found his exccllency awaiting me
at the threshold of his dwelling.
tExcuse me, /" he said, eff have dis
turbed you; but I acted by the kings
orders. His majesty invites you to q
crocodile hunt. We shall be absent al
least one week"
thanked his excellency and promised
to be at his house by o'clock next
morning, whence we should go together
to the palace to join the caravan Of
hunters.
AT 4:30 o'clock next morning we ar
rived in the courtyard of the palace. A
whole army Of servants had already com.
pleted all necessary preparations The
horses, carriages, elephants, and paIan-
keen destined for the use of Norodom.
his guests, and his wives, were all then
near the palace front. Further off was
a long train Of wagons freighted with
provisions and supplies, as well as the
tents and pIanking required for our tenn
porary quarters.
1t did not really seem as though we
were going to hunt, but to war. The
prime minister left me in the midst Of
the crowd and fastened to reioin the
king.
At precisely 5 o'clock Norodom ap-
peared, surrounded by the high official:
of his household. All those present
bowed down or prostrated themselves. ]
took off my hat.
Norodom, | must confess, descended
the palace steps with real majesty. His
palankeen awaited him, he got into it,
and his various wives got into other sim.
liar conveyances prepared for them.
As soon as the king and his wives
were in their vehicles, the rest of those
entitled to the privilege of driving Of
riding, mounted their horses Or theiI
conveyances, and the whole royal suite.
comprising more than three hundred per.
sons, of which number about one hun.
dred and fifty were footmen, and twenty.
five were soldiers, armed in European
fashion, proceeded on its way.
At 8 o'clock we made the first halt; al
midnight another halt, followed by din
ner and the inevitable siesta. At 4
o'clock we halted for the night. Then
the kings men proceeded to erect the
edifce in which his majesty was to re.
pose for tie night-a sort of immense
cage, elevated upon posts six feet above
the soil. Below this cage was anothe,
Structure for the kings harem. The
twenty-five soldiers formed a circle
about this portable palace, and kept all
the rest Of us at a distance from it.
Great fires were then lighted in circle
around the whole encampment to keer
dangerous wild beasts at distance. The
evenings meal was prepared. at s
o'clock the sentinels were posted, the
fires fed with plenty Of wood, and we
lay down and slept without paying any
lattention to the roaring Of the tigers.