Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1894-02-01
Ways Of the Crocodile.

No large wild animals exist on the
/ island OF Madagascar. There are al
| so very few snakes. The island Is,
/ however, infested with crocodiles l
had considerable sport hunting them.
ss they are tue only approach TO big
/ game. The crocodile eats anything,
and-is not specially partial To diet
! OF Malagasy. | have seen acrOcodile
| holding both The hind legs OF an or
| In his mouth, Watching the OK strug-
/ gle until he was exhausted, when the
crocodile wOuld proceed To eat such
parts a. suited his taste. the natives
havea snperstijiouav veneration for the
| crocodile, aud seldom Kill them, al
| though had 40 troubie inducing my
| little household TO help me when
wanted TO nuni them. One man WAS
killed 10y a crocodile during my stay
1 od the island lils boat WAS capsized,
two great jaws snapped on him sud
| denly, and ~ was part OF the croco-
dile's dinner As you walk along the
: reani YOU hear the continual snap
ping OF thrh BIZ jaws, and each snap
means n DOuthiul
There are TWO vulnerable spots in
! the crocodile, the rest OF the body be
/ iug about as prnctrahle as sheet ton.
/ OF course. the stomach Is soft aud has
no scaly covering, but the crocodile
takes guud care thst this part OF the
/ body i seldom eNposrd The natives
carry u spear, aud II it comes 20 All
actual combat between man aud rep
/ tile, the native aims at one ot the
vulnerable spots. which are IN the
eyes at the base OF the jaw, but the
ewes are vtry. small aud hence nard
/ to hit. The iirst crocodile thai killed
Was four feet ten inches loug, aud it
! had inside Of IL n small crocodile that
/ II mad eaten. one day party of rs
! came across IA mOtnsr alligator aud
! two little ones. They were some dis
tauce from the water, aud did not no
! ticr us al drst Whcu the old one
did observe us. she grabbed up her
offspring "a quick as "a wink, actually
! ale thsn, aud started for the water.
! Il seemrd to bs "A novel manifestation
Of the maternal instinct. But We
! killed her, 50 her cauuioalistic feat
MAS uuayaiiing.
TIE crocodile has one Immense
toutH, and one day saw Malaghsy
who had ueen caught 10y one aud bad
his thisn perforated by the grrat
tooth IL made All ugly scar. Tue
croc0diles infrst the island fhcy
! are found even above the falls VA the
streams, aud nave been caught mile
from water They can only travel
very slowly on Land, but they 80 with
/ Incredible swiftnrss through the Wa
ter The motion Is between n swim
aud n run. FOR the crocodile keeps on
thr bottom. They nave a po~~rfdi
| tail, aud the water behind tnsm TAR
/ l., boils. Oue reason the natives do
/ not Nil the crocOdiles, Is brcausr they
ARE perfectly n-ci-ss The stencil
| from a lave crocodile l. terrible, that
! from dead infinitely worse. Croco-
die hunting il pe 'ulIar, aud | found
| II exciting The natives take two
pieces OF wood foot long, sharpen
! iug the ends liNS stakes, aud make a
! cross of them. fastened securely With
small wire. 10 this Il good strong
! rope is attached, tne otner end OF
which l. mads fast 10 "A tree ou the
! shore.
The cross l. baited with Bfteen or
twenty pounds Of beef aud thrown
out 10 tue length Of the rope The
! crocodile takes IL with nRuiP, aud AT
ter the lrst jerk OH the rope Il II up'
fastened from the trer, aud every yDody
pulls. had eighteen Maisgasy boys
Oh one occasion, aud II WAS more en-
eAciting than atuR-Of-war. Tue croc-
| odiI. Jerk ed al oi the ia four feet ahead
Hud down on their stODacDs, aud lie
dragged them down to- the wnt"rs
edge. They wer' afraid To go further
down. for fear of other cfocodIies.
B, desperate effort they succeeded
Ia getting tile rope up TO the tree
again, where IL was fastened, aud tue
crocodile was allowed to exhaust him
.eli. winch took sevrral bours. AZ
Iast We nHui-d niru out, Killed nIm
Slth "a spear, aud found That bs bad
/ never sNaIiOwed tue cTOss aud beei
at all, Uut held h hrmiy grippsd la
nis Jaws. H. was 100 stupid 10 kDo"
enough 80 RELEASE bIln self, aud TOO Oh
stinase 60 let go-lraits Oi tDe croeO'
du. character.