Year: 1867

PLAYING WITH A CROCODILE.


That monkeys, among the other charac.
teristics which show closer connecting link
with the human species than is at all agree
able, ,.shou|d possess that love Of seeing how
near they can get to danger without being
hurt, which finds place in almost every
mans breast, is especially odd, but none the
less true.


The rivers all through the kingdom of Siam
abound with crocodies 10 an extraordinary
manner. Indeed the creatures are SO pienti.
ful, SO immense, and SO happy that one might
suppose when the world was built those
streams were made a waery Eden for some
original Adam and Eve crocodile, and that
they had remained there ever since with
their numberless descendants, guiltess Of
any fall such as overlook our human progen'
itors, especially fortunate in the fact that
their little pecuarities of gobbling up all
sorts Of living creatures which have the i'll
luck 10 come within reach of their capaclous
Jaws does not count at all as sin.


A river which exul,s in the unpronounoe'
able name OF Pakuam-Ven is their favorte
place of resort, possibly from the fact Nhat
the forests which border the stream are as
fall of monkeys as-as New, York is of
dandies. If either specie Of animal is offend
ed at the comparison, let deputatlon come
and demand an apology. That very human
desire which the monkeys possess, always to
be in mischief-especalIy mischief that has
the malicious result Of annoying something
or somebody dy-prompts them to worry the
crocodile, and at the same time proves
the truth of the theory with which we set
out, that they love to run nearer TO peril
than it is at all safe to 60


Ny friend the crocodlle-I don't mean
the man l just parted from at the corner
with great protesta,ons of affection on both
sides, and who is probably at this moment
abusing me energe'ical|y to the first mutual
friend he CHANGED to meet-but the original
Adam. in the picturesque river of Paknan-
Ven. Being perfectly aware OF this amiable
weakness on the part of the monkeys, he
lends himself to the sport with all the good
nature of your chief confdant, who invi es
you to dinner with the intention of allowing
you to pay for the the repast, by making
love to your wife, or forging your name, or
getting you between his jaws in any other
manner desirable, ard conducts the whole
transaction in the most lively and agreeable
way that one can imagine.


Nv felIow.traveller and | had been for
some time staying at the house of Chinese
who had settled near the bank of the river
and we had been told of this strange per.
formance, t, which we listened. must &C
knowledge with considerable incredibly.


But one day we were out on the river in a
boat, with a son of the old man at whose
house we were stopping, and bad An oppor-
tunity of witnessing the strange sport
Our young boatman was one OF the most
intelligent Chinese l ever saw. He had
somewhere picked up sufficient smal'ering
of German and English to make himself un
derstood after fashion; and though he oc.
casonaly made strange jumble Of the two
languages, was perfectly satisfied wish his
own proficiency, and regarded as one of the
marvels of the universe by bis admirog pa
rent.


We had been shooting some curous-look
ing birds, whose gay plumage attracted ou'
atten,ion-collecting rare plants, and anus
ing ourselves with the busy idensss in which
travellers delight.


Fung has rowed the boat into a deep sort
of bayou, and we were all sitting still
watching the manouevers of bright-wing
ed waterfowl, when suddenly the young
Chinaman, whose hearing was as acute as
teat of wild animal, put up bis hands aud
made signal Of silence.


"What is it 2" l asked in whisper.


After some difficulty be made US under
stand that there was crocodile near, anc
that we should probably have the pleasure
Of seeing with our own eyes the remarkable
performance concerning which we had, per
haps. expressed more polite unbelief thar
quite satisfied Master Fung's self-esteem.
He padded the boat noiselessIy toward
the mouth Of the bayou, stopping near lit
tie island where the thick bushes screened u'
from sight, and yet gave US view up anc
down the stream.


An enormous crocodile had established
himself comfortably in shallow basin neal
the shore, bis unpleasant carcass hidden un
der the water, until only the horny head was
exposed, with the great jaws wide open, al
If TO express the serene height OF amlabIlty
in which he CHANGED 10 find himself at the
time.


There was a strong temptation to send
bullet down the great cavern OF throat
but we waited for the conclusion OF the little
game before we disturbed bis repose by any
such rude greeting. An immense tree, CLOSE
to the ban was covered with troops o
monkeys, chattering and arguing among
themselves at a fine rate, their number every
! moment increased by new corners, until tht