The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1903-03-24
A. w. Foreman
JAMAICA CROCODILE HUNT.
che Reptiles Are Numerous About
the Island and Afford Excellent
Opportunities for Sport.

One of the best forms of sport to be
obtained in Jamaica is stalking and
shooting crocodiles. Perhaps it is not
quite so exciting as fishing for sharks,
catching tarpon, or harpooning the
deyilfsh--all Of which sports may also
be obtained in Jamaica-but it is far
more difficult and dangerous, calling
into play all the best qualities OF the
eportsman. There are a good many
crocodiIes in the more distant reserves
OF Kingston harbor and at the mouth
of the Jamaican rivers, but they yare ex-
ceedingly wary and most cautious
approach is necessary if one wishes to
get close enough for an effective shot.
just as the limo has his jackal and the
shark his pilot fish, so the crocodile is
almost always accompanied by small
plover, which perehes upon the scaly
ridge of its back. and is just visible
above the filthy water in which its big
patron loves to wallow, writes. William
Thorp, in the Chicago Daily News.
On the approach of man or any other
danger this tiny bird fiutters into the
air and utters shrill cry to warn its
"chum." The crocodile dives, and you
NAV sit in your canoe and nurse your
rifle for an hour without chance OF
shot
The Jamaican crocodile is shyer OF
man than most of its kind. Often l
have spent the whole day rowing up
creeks and catching malaria in noisome
swamps without even getting within
aiming distance of the brutes- They
bury themselves in mud ON the ap-
proach of danger, and often when tax
en- unawares, feign death in the hope
of escape. Even If you do manage to
shoot one, the odds are that it will sink
to the bottom Of the river or creek un-
less you are very quick, and then 1t is
q terribly difficult business to fish 1t
up and get the skin. My best crocodile
was lost in that way. / caught him on
the river bank toward evening, and got
q steady shot with .33 Winchester.
The heavy bullet crashed through the
soft pouch surrounding his wicked lit-
tie eve, and he died almost instantly;
but in his death agony he managed TO
flop off the river bank into ~ feet OF
water. The negro boys tried to fish
him up, but it was quite impossible.
for he was huge fellow, al least Is
feet long, and very heavy.
On the other hand. you may get a
fine crocodile when you least expect
it. / remember once walking in the
lunatic asylum grounds on Kingston
harbor with one OF the doctors, and
seeing a huge crocodile in the water
within few feet of us. He had wan
dered ten miles from. his usual habitat
through the salt waters of the harbor,
and was prowling around the bathing
place attached to the asylum. Unlike
most crocodiles, he was not scared by
our approach, and we were able TO send
for rifles and slay him with ease. He
measured over ten feet. On another
occasion some negro boys were bath
ing round the ordnance wharf in the
center Of the commercial part of King
sfon harbor, where the steamers are
coming and going continually. and a
crocodile suddenly appeared in the
midst Of them. The boys dashed
ashore and luckily none of them was
nipped. The sentry on duty at the
wharf shot the crocodile. sending a
Lee-Enfeld bullet clean through the
thick scales on the ridge Of the back.
Pliny said that the crocodile's skin
"will abide any injury and not be
pierced" That may have been true in
his day, but it is not true now. The
bullet of heavy modern rife win
pierce the skin anywhere, unless it
strikes in slanting direction. The
crocodile is not, as a rule. hard to kill,
provided one can get good shot at II,
but that is just the trouble. 1t has not
the marvellous vitality Of the shark.
which viii sometimes struggle furious
" for an hour, although covered With
apparently mortal wounds.