Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1896-09-17
Babes for Bait.


their own akward offspring, but hu-
man darlings, fat and dimpled. this
liking for the saurian for babies is used
bv hunters in Ceylon to lure the rep
tiles to their death, A nice, fat baby
is tied by the leg to a stake near some
pond or lagoon where crocodiles
abound. Soon the child begins cry
ing and the sound attracts the croco-
diles within hearing distance They
start out Immediately for the wailng
infant.
The hunter in the meantime con-
eeals himself in the bushes orswamp
grass near the baby, with a rifle on his
hand projecting ont and almost over
the child. He remains perfectly quiet
and the reptile, intent on its prey
notices nothing but the screaming
and kicking child. As the monster
approaches to within few feet of the
bait the hunter sends bullet directly
into the alligators eye causing instant
death.
4 miss would mean death for the
baby but the hunters are expert shots
and at the short distance at which
they fire a miss is next TO impossible.
As a rule the sound of the hrearm
scares the baby worse than the pres
ence of the crocodile's jaws and the
rows of sharp AMI glistening teeth,
/ but after being shot over few times
the child takes the shooting as a mat
ter of course and pays little attention
to it.
So expert are many Of the hunters
that they do not shoot the alligator
until it has approached to within a few
feet of the baby. Then, with but
few inches of space between the muz-
zle of the rifle and the eye Of the aIli-
gator, the shot is fired that ends the
existence Of the reptile and saves the
child.
A recent issue Of Ceylon news
paper contained the following adver-
tisement
WAYrED-Some very fat children
a. bait for crocodile hunting We guar
antee TO return them safe and sonnd
to the homes of the parents. Apply
to So and So.
This advertisement, which is IN
serted in all seriousness, makes ITS
appearance regularly in the Ceylon
papers and is said to be productive OF
good results. But these CeyIonese
mothers must be different from most
mothers, or else they have a high
opinion Of the ability and skill Of the
men who hunt crocodiles with human
bait.
Ceylon has many curious customs
and curious people. 1t is best known
now as country from which tea Is
exported. During recent years the
tea planters there have become more
numerous, and various brands OF Cey'
lon teas are now widely adveriised ia
Europe and America. The country
formerly raised more coffee than tea
Many Of the tribes that inhabit the
interior of Ceylon are but partially
civilized The Oldest Of the aborlg-
ines are the Veddas. Their language
has less than 100 words aud they live
a pastoral life, bows and arrows being
their weapons. They have a primitive
form Of government, the oldest man
in settlement having little author
itv by virtue Of his age. They are
truthful. however, and honest
There are not now more than 200 or
300 unmixed Veddas in the island,
) which has a total population Of about
100000. Some of the tribes are
highly civilized. The caste system
prevails there ar it does in many east
ern countries. The richest man in
Ceylon is a butcher, aud because OF
: his caste. which is regulated by his
occupation, is not allowed to associate
with many families whose possessions
could be hauled in a hand cart;