The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-10-16

How Oeylon Hunters Lure Hun
cry Orocodilos to Their Death.
Exposing Fat Infants Temptingly
on River Banks.

Ir0codiic8 ike 20 eat Dnble8-not
their own awkward offspring. but
human darlinga, fat and dimpled. This
liking Of the saurian for babies is used
by hunters in Ceylon to lure the rep
tiles 10 their death A nice, fat baby
is tied by the leg 10 a stake near some
pond or lagoon where orooodilos
abound. Soon the child begins cry
ing and the sound attracts the oroco-
dies within hearing distance. They
start out Immediately for the wailiug
infant
The hunter in tho meantime con-
ceales himself in the bushes or swamp
grass near the baby, with a rifle in his
hand projecting out and almost over
the child. lie 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 alligator's eye, causing instant
death.
A 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 frearm
scares the baby worse than the pres
enee Of the crocodile's jaws and the
rows Of sharp and glistening teeth,
but after being shot over a few times
the child takes the shooting as a mat
ter of course aud pays little attention
to it
So expert are many Of tho hunters
that they do not shoot the alligator
until it has approached to within a few
feet of the baby. Then, with but a
few inches of space between the muz-
zle of the rifle and the eye of the alli-
gator, the shot is fired that ends the
existence of the reptile and saves the
child.
A recent issue of a Ceylon news
paper contained the following adyer-
tisement:
WANTED-Some very fat children
as bait for crocodile hunting we guar
antee to return them safe und sound
to the homes of the parents. Apply
to So aud 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 Ceylonese
mothers must be different from most
mothers, or else they have 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 a country from which tea is
exported. During recent years the
J tea planters there have become more
numerous, and various brands of Cey
Ion teas are now widely advertised il
, Europe and America. The country
, formerly raised more coffee than ten.
Many Of the tribes that inhabit the
interior of Ceylon are but partially
civilized. The oldest of the abort
gines arc the Veddas Their language
has less than 100 words and they live
: pastoral life, bows and arrows being
their weapons. They have primitive
form of government, the oldest mar
in settlement having little author
: ity by virtue OF his age. They arr
truthful, however, and honest
!. There are not now more than 200 o
800 unmixed Veddas in the island
which has total population of abOu
1000, 900. Some of the tribes ar
highly civilized The caste system
prevails there as it does in many East
: ern countries The richest man i
: Ceylon is a butcher, and because 9
his caste, which is regulated by hi
occupation, is not allowed to assocint
with many families whose possession
could be hauled in hand cart.
:. Nothing TO Fear.
Lady-Iittle bov, isn't that YOU