The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-04-21
A PECULIAR MONSTER
The Fierce Man Eating Crocodile
Of Australia.
4 PATIENT, CUNNING BRUTE.

This Powerful and savage saurian,
Sometimes Twenty.ssvsn Fsst u
length, VIII. Tackle Anything From
Q Sheep to . Half Ton Bullock.
The crocodile of the Nile differs very
little from that Of Australia, which b
generally termed alligator" though IN
a true crocodile. The head Of
q true alligator is broader and shorter
than that Of the crocodile. There Is
considerable difference In the teeth
and their disposition In the Jaws. The
teeth Of an alligator are unequal, and
the larger of the lower canine enters q
cavity In the upper jaw, while that OF
q crocodile simply fits Into q groove on
the outside Of the upper jaw. leaving
the tooth clearly visible when the
mouth OF the monster Is closed. There
are also differences in the webbing Of
the toes and the form of the legs,
though to the general observer there f.
little or no difference.
The crocodiles no doubt feed largely
upon fish, but as they grow older and
stronger and require great quantities OF
food they will when hungry attack
anything from a sheep or kangaroo to
a bullock, a big crocodile making short
work Of a bullock weighing over half o
ton. Some Of these monsters measure
az much as twenty-seven feet In length
and possess immense strength besides
wonderful cunning and patience. One
will lie in wait at any watering place
frequented by animals, hardly dis
tinguishable from a log Of wood, SO
still and impassiye 1t has become. The
animal coming down to drink is seized
in the crocodile's huge jaws and drawr
into the water and drowned.
At other, times the tail Is used ii
sweep the animal into deep water,
where, even though Its. prey may be a
heavy bullock, it has little or nochanceI
against its enemy, which Is specially
provided by nature with an arrange
ment that prevents the water rushing
down its huge throat wen though Its
Jaws are fully distended through hold
ing its prey. Thus after a few briefI
seconds the unequal struggle Is owe
and the ssaurian takes the carcass in
tow to some favored locality where he
can enjoy it at his leisure.
In the early days at Port Darwin,
South Australia, bathing in the open
sea was forbidden owing to the danger
from crocodiles, there and nearly ey-
erywhere else in Australia called ALI.
gators, though in reality NJ true nllt-
gators exist In Australia. a young
trooper named Davis, a fineeswimmer,
disregarded the general order and one
morning early went for a swim. Far
out in the harbor he noticed what he
and others took to be a floating log.
Many OF the northern trees float and
are washed down In the wet season tG
the open sea. Out went the strong
swimmer, nearer and nearer to the
supposed log, until too late he recog-
nized his mistake and that he was ap.
preaching instead Of q log d huge and
apparently listless crocodile.
But the knowledge came too late tt
be of any service to poor Davis, though
some men called out to him from a
small craft close by to 'Go back! Go
back!' and Davis did make an attempt
to retreat and was swimming manful-
" shoreward when the huge brute
flashed down upon him at q terrific
speed and. opening his great jaws to
their utmost capacity, came down with
q smack that was heard rel to the
shore, and inside their cruel grasp was
Trooper Davis head. Then, with the
quickness common to the saurian, II
had disappeared with Its victim.
Crocodiles at nighttime low and bel
low just like cattle, especially like
bulls, and I have spent some nights
In an open boat In Cambridge gulf,
northwestern Australia, where the
whole place seemed to be alive with
them, and what with their splashes and
cries, the weirdness Of the. whole scene
and their close proximity as they a
umes.rocked the boat sleep was impos.
sible, for there are several instances
on record where crocodiles have taken
or have attempted to take men from
out Of camps and boats.
A poor fellow named Reed, the mate
or second mate Of the Gulnan, had
gone In his vessel to some river Ii
Carpentaria gulf believe the Roper
The vessel was at anchor near the
mouth of the river. The mate, Reed
had been dispatched In charge Of .
watering party and was some dis
lance up the river In q large oper
boat. Water had been obtained, and
they were all ready for a return to thu
ship. All being made snug. the tired
fellows turned in, having made theil
camp In the boat. The night was
very fine one, the 400 shining bright
", when toward midnight the sleep
ing camp was aroused by some terrific
shrieks. These were the cries OF poo
Reed. who, enveloped In his bedding
and mosquito curtains. was being
borne OF by q crocodile.
It is said by those who knew hin
well and accompanied him on this ant
other previous trips that he had tn
habit of sleeping with his foot on thu
gunwale Of the boat. and no doubt THU
Afforded tho crocodile an easier oppor
tunity 81 selling him.
The crocodile has a remarkable eye
II can arrange the pupil to q vertica
or horizontal position at will to sui
Its requirement by day or night. I
has a special natural protection to tn
eye. and through a duet escapes tn
D,Sa ,,,hn,, TIM unnnofnp mvnonn& III