Year: 1863

4


England book Of travels in South America,
which contains some exciting adventures.
Here is a sketch Of


CROCODILE LIFE AND DEATH.


While walking along the banks Of the
Portuguese one may see these huge lizards col
lected in groups Of half dozen or more bask-
/ ing in the sunshine near the water, with their
jaws wide open until their ghastly palates are
filed with flies or other creatures alighting
within them. We tried in vain shooting them
with guns; the reptiles were so wary that the
moment we took aim they rushed into the
water. Being at loss how toprocure sub
ject for my pencil, I sought the advice Of an
old man, an angler by profession, who lived
in one Of the huts near the river. He agreed
to let me have his canoe, with his son to pad
die it, and the requisite number Of harpoons,
providing could obtain the assistance of an
Indian boy from the neighborhood, who was
capital marksman with the bow and arrow.


"rWhatl" I exclaimed, in astonishmont
do we expect to kill one Of these monsters
with SO slight thing as an arrowY No,
SenoritO, he calmly answered; but you must
FIRST know where to find him under water be-
fore you can strike him with the harpoon +;
the arrow of which speak is the kind we
use III catching turtles.


These arrows are constructed so as to al
low the head affixed to the shaft somewhat in
the manner of lance, to come off the mo-
ment in strikes an object in the water A
slender cord, several feet in length, connects
it with the shaft, which last is made of a light
buoyant reed; around this the cord is wound
closely until it reaches the point where the
head is then fastened securely. The shaft,
being extremely light, floats on the surface of
the water the moment it is set free from the
head by the struggles Of the animal, thus act
ing as guide for its recovery.


1.-THE old angler then proceeded to explain
chat the operation must be conducted first by
sending one of these arrows into the body Of
the crocodile to mark his position under wa
ter; and then, if practicable, we might plunge
harpoon into the only vulnerable spot we
could hope to reach, viz, the nape ofthe neck.
after which the animal could be easily drag
ged on shore by means of strong ropes at
tached to The harpoon.


Accordingly, went in search Of the In
dian boy, whom I found under a tree, seated
like toad, on his launches, skinnirg q por-
Oupine he had just killed. At my approach
he raised his head and fixed on me his un-
meaning eyes. When spoken to, he only re-
piled to all my questions with the monosylla-
bles, ST no. After little coaxing and the
promise of some fsh-hooks he followed me
to the canoe without uttering word more.


We were not long in getting chance to
test the skill of my new acquaintance. As
we approached the river banks a large croco-
die hove in sight, floating down the stream
like log of wood. Our position was most
favorable to send an arrow rattling through
his scales and my young Nimrod lost no time
in improving the opportunity. Stepping a
few PAGES in advance, and bending gracefully
over the preciprce, he let Fly at the reptile
head his slender, yellow reed, por elsyacior,
viz, shooting the arrow up into the air at an
angle Of forty-6ve degrees, which causes it to
descend with great force upon the object sf
ter describing an arc of circle in the manner
of bomb-shell.


Although the distance was fully 300 pa
ces, the arrow struck the mark with the pre-
cisiOn Of a rife ball A violent plunge of the
huge reptile was my first intimatiOn that the
trial had been successful, and moment after
I perceived the golden reed, now attached to
him, skimming swiftly over the surface of the
water. We hastened fer the canoe, and i'm
mediately gave chase up the stream, as the
crocodile had taken that direction. We were
rapidly gaining upon him, when, alarmed at
the sound of the paddles, he sunk in very deep
water, as was indicated by the read. This
circumstance rendered it impossible to en-
ploy our harpoon. We tried in vain to start
him; he stuck to the muddy bottom, whence
neither pulls nor curses could move him. We
hoped that in time he would come to the sur
face to breathe, and then we might strike him
with harpoOn; but in this we were equally
disappointed.


After waiting for him two hours, we gave
him up, along with the arrowhead sticking
in his own. made various other attempts
to secure a specimen, but with no better re-
sult as the river was yet too high to sound
for them.


"While in this place, was told several in
oidents in relation to the cunning and instinct
of these 0aurians, one of which appeared tc
me most remarkable in an animal Of the rep,
tile tribe. The ferEyman here possessed al
one time great many goats One day he
perceived that several of them had disappear
ed, and not being able to account for it in any
other way, he at once laid the blame on the
hated crocodiles, although these creatures sci
dom carry their attacks beyond their own el,
ement His suspicious. he discovered in the
end, were well founded, having witnessed the
destruction of one of his goats in very sin
gular manner. It appeared that a crocodile
had in some mysterious way discovered tha
goats delight in jumping from place to place
but more especially from rocks or mounds
Rocks, however, being rather scarce in the
country, their treacherous enemy undertook
took to crafty their taste for this innocen
pastine, and at the same time cater to hi
own. Approaching the waters edge to with