The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-17
MONSTER
 OF INDIAN OCEAN Fierce Man-Eating Crocodile of
 Australia A PATIENT CUNNING BRUTE This Powerful and Savage saurlan, Sometimes 27 Feet in Length, 7 Will Tackle Anything From
 Sheep to Bullock.


 The crocodile of the Nile differs very
 little from that of Australia, which is
 generally termed alligator" though in
 reality a true crocodile. The head of
 true alligator is broader and shorter
 than that of the crocodile. There is
 also 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 a cavity in the upper jaw. while that of
 crocodile simply fits into a 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 is little or no difference.
 l The crocodiles no doubt feed largely
 upon fish, but as they grow older and stronger and require great quantities of i food they will, Wh en hungry, attack anything from a sheep or kangaroo to 1 a bullock big crocodile making short
 work of a bullock weighing over half l ton. Some of these monsters measure as much as 27 feet in length and pos. l sess immense strength besides wonder l full cunning and patience. One will | ! quented by animals, hardly dis tinguishable from a log of wood, so still | and impassive it has become. The ami
 mal coming down to drink is seized in the crocodiles huge jaws and drawn l into the water and drowned.
 At other times the tail is used to sweep the animal into deep water, | where, even though it's prey may be l heavy bullock, it has little or no chance l against it's enemy. which is specially | provided by nature with an arrange. l ment that prevents the water rushing down its huge throat even though it's | jaws are fully distended through hold 1 ing it's prey. Thus after a few brief seconds the unequal struggle is over, 1 and the saurian takes the carcass in 1 tow to some favored locality where he ] can enjoy it at his leisure.
 1 In the early days at Port Darwin, 1 South Australia, bathing in the open ! sea was forbidden owing to the danger 1 from crocodiles, there and nearly every
 where else in Australia called alliga- 1 tors, though in reality no true alllga- | tors exist in Australia. young troop 1 CT named Davis, a fine swimmer, disre-
 garded the general order and one 1 morning early went for swim. Far 1 out in the harbor he noticed what he 1 and others took to be a floating log. 1 Many of the northern trees float ana l are wash ed down in the wet season 10 ] the open sea. Out went th@ strong 1 swimmer, nearer and nearer to the l supposed log, until too late he recog7. nized his mistake and that he was ap- nroaching instead of log a huge and. apparently lstless crocodile.
 Rut the knoweldge came too late to
 be of any service to poor Davis, though 1 some men called out to him from d l small craft close by to GO back! Io | backr" and Davis did make an, attempt ] to retreat and was swimming manful-
 lv shoreward when the huge brute l fla shed down upon him at a terrific sneed and, opening his great jaws 70 | their utmost capacity, came down Wiei | a smack that was heard even 10 tne l shore. and inside heir cruel grasp was
 Trooner Davis head. Thep, with the
 ouickness common to the sauriah is
 had disappeared with it's victim,
 Crocodiles at nighttime low and peiow
 inst like cattle. especially like bulls and | I have spent some nights in an open poat
 in Cambridge gulf, northwestern Aus | tralia where the whole place seemed to | he alive with them, and what With .heii | snlashes and cries, the weirdness or 'ne
 whole scene and their close proximity as l they at times rocked the boat, sleep was I impossible, for there are several instances | on record where crocodiles nave tah-I | or have attempted to take men iroii oo' l of camps and boats.
 l noor fellow named Reed, the mate or ! second mate of the Gulnan, mad gone LII | his vessel to some river in Carpentarid | rulf-I believe the Roper. The Vessel was l at anchor near the mouth of the river. | The mate. Reed, had been dispatched Tn l charge of a watering party and was some | distance up the river in large open | boat. water had been obtained, and they | were all ready for a return to the shlp. | All heinz made snug, the tired ieiioWs | turned in, having made their camp III | the boat. The night was very me one, | tbe moon shining brightly, when toward l midnight the sleeping camp was aroused | bv some terrific shrieks. These were the | cr;es of uoor Reed, who, enveloped in | his bedding and mosquito curtains, was l heinz borne off by a crocodile l If is said by those who knew him well | and accompanied him on this and other | previous trips that he had the haolt or | sleepine with his foot on the gunwale l of the boat. and no doubt this afforded l the crocodile an easier opportunity or | sezng him. ,4 | The crocodile has a remarkable eye. It l can arrange the pupil to Vertlcai or | horizontal position at will to sut us -e- ! ouirement by day or night. It has snacial natural protection to the eye, and | through a duct escapes the fluid when | the monster weeps. In fact, he is a pecu- | liar brute altogether, with many special l ejfts besides his huge jaws that help to malxe of him the terror he is.-Sydney