830 cook's first voyage dec* 



than the firm belief of this strange absurdity among 

 them, for we had the concurrent testimony of every 

 Indian who was questioned about it, in its favour. 

 It seems to have taken its rise in the islands of 

 Celebes and Boutou, where many of the inhabitants 

 keep crocodiles in their families ; but however that 

 be, the opinion has spread over all the eastern islands, 

 even to Timor and Ceram, and westward as far as 

 Java and Sumatra, where, however, young crocodiles 

 are, I believe, never kept. 



These crocodile twins are called Siidaras, and I 

 shall relate one of the innumerable stories that were 

 told us, in proof of their existence, from ocular de- 

 monstration. 



A young female slave, who was born and bred up 

 among the English at Bencoolen, and had learnt a 

 little of the language, told Mr. Banks that her father, 

 when he was dying, acquainted her that he had a 

 crocodile for his Sudara, and solemnly charged her 

 to give him meat when he should be dead, telling 

 her in what part of the river he was to be found, and 

 by what name be was to be called up. That, in pur- 

 suance of her father's instructions and command, 

 she went to the river, and, standing upon the bank, 

 called out Radja Pouti, White King, upon which a 

 crocodile came to her out of the water, and ate from 

 her hand the provisions that she had brought him. 

 When she was desired to describe this paternal 

 uncle, who in so strange a shape had taken up his 

 dwelling in the water, she said, that he was not like 

 other crocodiles, but much handsomer; that his body 

 was spotted and his nose red ; that he had bracelets 

 of gold upon his feet, and ear-rings of the same 

 metal in his ears. Mr. Banks heard this tale of 

 ridiculous falsehood patiently to the end, and then 

 dismissed the girl, without reminding her, that a 

 crocodile with ears was as strange a monster as a 

 dog with a cloven foot. Some time after this, a ser- 

 vant, whom Mr. Banks had hired at Batavia, and 



