Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1889-09-20

0eneIO was just WnaC we haO expected
and had come purposely to see; but 81
frightful was the sudden revelation of THU
foul. Shiny pool, crawling with monstrou
and hideous reptiles, in the very midst OF
this splendid palace, with ali its graceful
architecture, and beautiful ornamentation,
and glittering pomp of Eastern luxury,
that had we seen herd of swine riotina
in a fashionable drawing-room, or an
African gorilla sitting in all his squalid
ugliness at Ministerial dinner table, we
could hardly have been more utterly
startled and shocked.
The beautiful white walls over which
we were leaning inclosed black, dismal
pool of thick, muddy, Efeless water, from
the Shiny des,ths of which steamed up
ward through the hot, breezeless air
sickening stencil of rank foulness and
decay. Above the thick, oily surface,
low banks of glistening black mud rose
every here and there; and on that con-
genial couch lay basking the horrible
reptiles which the Maharajah's strange
taste had preserved and nourished as
''pets.' Some lay outstretched on the
mud banks in the full glare of the sun,
torpid as gorced snakes, but giving a
sudden snap with their cruel jaws ever
and anon, as if they were dreaming of
tearing some living victim to pieces.
Others were wallowing in the sullen
waters, above which nothing could be
seen but their scally shouts and long,
saw-like tails; while others still were
completely hidden, betraying their where
abouts only by the huge brown bubbles
that crept lazily up to the stagnant sur
face.
Just below us, the hugest of these
foul creatures lay asleep on an islet OF
mud, half in the water and half out.
Wishing to stir it up, [ threw a large
huge stone at it, which rebounded from
the scaly back like hailstone from
roof; but the monster never moved. Mrs.
Ker flung another stone with no better
success: and then two of the Hindoos,
seeing what we were at, Joined in the
bombardment so Justify that the mud.
bank was studded like an almond-cake
with stones of all sizes but to all appear.
ance we might have built an entire house
upon the plegmatic crocodile without
disturbing it in the least. At length one
huge stone hit it fair in the nose, when il
finally condescended to wake up, stretched
itself, yawned, and waddled lazily down
into the water, while its fiat, scaly head
and mud-besmeared body, it's narrow,
cunning eyes, short, clumsy limbs, and
ungainly movements formed a picture
more hideous and repulsive than the ugli
est demon ever imagined by Dante.
At that moment tiny English child,
having escaped from its ayah Cnative
nurse while the latter was engaged in
watching the crocodiles, scrambled up on
to the parapet that overhung the tank. II
was horrible to see how, the moment the
poor little victim appeared, the whole
surface below was alive with Tapping
tails and gaping jaws, as the monsters
caught sight Of their prey. Scared by
the tumult the child grew dizzy, stag
gered forward, and in another instant
would have fallen headlong into the ter
rible pool, when one of the Maharajah's
native gardeners, an active young fellow,
sprang forward and clutched her by the
arm just in time.
"Crocodile know how man-fesh
taste!'' said a tall, gaunt Punjabi beside
us. "When old Maharaiah reign, that
time plenty man throw in here, croco-
die plenty much fat-aha!"
This speech, and the CHASTITY grin that
accompanied it, were all that was
needed to complete the horror of thi.
f1ghtful spectacle; and, turning away
with a shudder, we hurried from the i'll
omened spot as fast as we could.-FranA
LesIie's.