New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-15
THE INDIAN CROCODILE.
FEROCIOUg AND PROLIFIC, HE IS THE
TERROR OF THE RIVERS OF
TIE EMPIRE.
From The Contemporary Review.

From The Contemporary Review.
Tho Indian crocodile IL n ferocious and dan,
Gerous animal. and causes great destruction 10
human life. especially In Lower bengal In the
daily poiics reports you seldom fail 10 see an
account Of some man, woman, chic or animal
either carried off or wounded by crocodile, ant
numerous cases are no doubt never reported.
Ia all the smaller rivers ~ Jessore Puhna ana
other districts the "ghaut," or bathing place.
Of every village Is protected by palisades. and
Il Is not safe venture even Into these inclosed
places incautiously. for the cunning reptile
crceps into them at night and lies In wait J
Oncn sAw crocodile that had seized "A little Sfrl
by the thigh N Of these places. and was
swimming on with her in his mouth pursued by
the father In cocoanut-trunk canoe with o
bamboo pole. II" compelled the crocodnc -
drop the child. but IL had torn Of one lex from
the hip before doing 20.
The blind teroci,y Of the Indian crocodile is
we'll known | had A young specimen about SIX
inches long. which kept in a tub Of water In
him WAS concentrated all the ferocity OF ms
race. All attempts to conciliate him were vain.
stick put into the water "as seized AZ once
and held with the greatest tenacity. There was
no getting him 10 reliugulsh his hold. ana ne
snapped with the greatest fury at everything
put into the water. Yet. on me other hahu' i
have seen a FULL grown crocodile who lived IN
a large pond tame that he came swimming
up 10 q man. who standing waist-deep IN
water. called him by his name. "Kalay Khan. .
and would take fowl or piece OF i'eSh ou' Oh
his hand without doing him any harm
Very often number Of crocod.les take up
their habitaton In pond, and are not cis
,urbcd by the Indians. who In time come 20
consider them as sacred animals. and feed them
m they are go tame that they may be APP
preached and almost handled with IMMUNITY.
Crocodncs wander to long distances on land
chiefly 10 change their habitations OWING l
suppose. to supplies falling short. when met on
their way they are invariably dubbed or spared
by the natives who believe mat the gan ph'u"r
has medicinal virtues and always try 10 gel one.
A long experience has convinced me mat the
head is not the vulnerable part in an indian
crocodile Indeed. can safely say mat IN the
course u my long experience. IN when nave
made crocodile shooting a special study Tor
while | have never succeeded in bringing one
down dead with shot in the head. even rom
heavy rifle aimed from the very short distance
OF ak or seven yards. The most effective shot
Ia lust behind the shoulder and with this shot
I have never failed TO Kill dead on the spot
In one OF our tiger shooting expeditions we We're
led 10 beat along hranch OF ths rlE'r hos, NOS,
which. coming down from the hills OF Nepaul'
flows between The Rhaugulpore and Purneah dis
tricts through fiat alluvial plains ana spreads
into numerous branches. While moving through
the thin jungle saw an immense croco''il" sleep
ing on the bank entirely out Of the water with
his head toward the river. ! was about htty
yards from him. and. fearing ne would dls-
appear in the river let drive al MN pehlnd the
shoulder with my No II smoothbore Samuel
Mock" rnuzzle-loadsr. To my surprise the croco-
die wriggled forward pace or two into the
water and stopped dead
The nahouts and their assistants jumped on
their elephants tied rope round his waist and
with difficulty dragged MIN out. They then set
to work to get his gall bladder. Wien cut open
the stencil Overpoweiing, and man put
ting his hands into the cavity took out two en-
tire human skulls covered with a green deposit,
OF bile / suppose. These were prODably Inc re-
mains OF carcasses he had devoured. took on
his head and carried II away, leaving his pody
TO be deyOured by the tigers and vultures
This crocodile measured seventeen feet in length.
Tho stencil from his stomach so horrible
that a further search for his gal-bladder could
not be made.
In the cold season these crocodi'es. as well as
I he ghurrials. or gayials. are extremely fOnd or
basking In the and they may be seen
At etched out for hours on the banks or the
rivers enjoying a sound sleep. 1t Is then that
crocodie-sh shooting can be had in perfection.
There Is n small river on the eastern boundary
OF the district OF Tirhoot called the Tiljooga.
which literally swarms with these monsters.
and I once spent few weeks with friend In
4 regular crusade against them. The river IL =