Evening star., 1926-10-03
tlantic Offer Severe Test for Explorers

IS adult birds. young ones, nests
| and 90 eggs.
Both before and since that time /
have been boating in several bad
places. but never in another which
was so thoroughly dangerous as that.
1t was a great day, and in whaleboat
management Basanta and his two
boatmen were genuine artists.
TO Shift from the pursuit OF feathered
animals to the hunting of crawling
saurians, am reminded of the golden
days when l was a buoyant and fresh
young man, and when, suddenly and un-
expectedly to myself, leaped into the
position of chief crocodile killer to the
world at large. That was various years
ago, and If any other young man has
surpassed my list of species, 1 will. upon
proof of his claims, be pleased to
hand over to him the aforementioned
title, almost as good as new.
Because they were big. ugly.
dangerous and difficult to accomplish
in large dimensions; and because of
their romantic jungle atmosphere
crocodile hunting always fascinated
me. did all my hunting with
specimens" as the excuse, which
was an advantage that few other
crocodile hunters have enjoyed.
Each we'll made skin and skeleton
was a candidate for museum honors.
There were years when I lay awake
nights, and had countless nightmares.
in terms of cubic feet of specimens
and in those days every twelve-foot
crock was an achievement worthy OF
respect
My education as crocodile hunter
was not achieved. 1t was thrust
upon me when I determined to set
n yself up IN business as a collecting
naturalist" My first offense was a
trip to Cuba and the Isle OF Pines.
In the land-locked heart Of that
balmy isle, at San Pedro. most un-
expectedly and thrillingly I saw and
shot my first crocodile. 1t was only
six feet long, and it's home ranch
was brook only six feet wide. but it
was a real fiesh-and-blood crock. 1t
represented Crocodilus rhombifer. a
species that is quite small for its age.
My guiding star sent me from the
Isle Of Pines across to Key West. up
to Biscayne Bay, to Miami of three
which flows from the Everglades into
the head of the bay. Chester Jack
| son and 1 camped upon the natural
| stone bridge that firmly spans Arch
Creek.
Then and there we heard of a
strange-looking but very big old
gator" that lived in the deepest part
of the creek, a mile or SO below the
Arch. In a few hours we got sight
Of him, out on the bank I'm a saw
grass wallow. He was q monster for
siZe-a perfect whale OF a saurian.
gray in color-and by all the powers.
he was a genuine crocodile!
The wary old crock would not stand
being approached by boat, even by a
boat all trimmed up with green
boughs to register a harmless elysian
bower, or a floating tree-top. Not he
A quarter of mile away he launched
his great hulk, and plunged to depths
profound
The next day we rose before the
old crock, and j took an advanced
outpost position in bunch of man
grove roots opposite his basking
place. Chester kindly took the boat
around the first bend below, and
waited. Old Crock finally came to the
surface; but he smelled a rat, and
refused to come out. He just floated
and swan on the top of his IA feet of
water. and elected to stand pat.
With the wild impatience of incon-
siderate youth I couldn't restrain my
self for unknown hours. as according