On ridiiig on the Back of a Crocodile. 15 



fore legs, and by main force twisted them on his back : thus 

 they served me for a bridle." 



Herodotus [Euterpe^ chap. 70.), relates a different way of 

 catching this animal on the Nile. — 'ETreav vwtov uo^ SeAeacry/ 

 7csp\ uynKTTpoVy fjisrisi s$ jU,g<rov tov TroTccfjt^ov ovjTog, Se stt) tov ^sU 

 Xsos Tou 7roTU(Jiou s^ctiv SeXipaxa ^co^v, tuvtyiv tutttsj. S7rctx,4<ru§ 85 



ocdTCK.'Trlvsr ol 8s sXxscrr sttsuv 8e s^sXkvg-^y) h§ y^v, Trpwrov uttuvtcov 

 ^ripsvTYjs, TryjXw xotT wv gTrXace uuts touj oipSaXjXOuj. rouro 8g 

 TTOij^craf, KapTci svTrsTscog ra Xqitcol ^sipSrai. * 



Tab. 87. of Johannes Stradaen's Hmitings represents the 

 manner of taking these beasts, as described by Herodotus, 

 and the lines below it are : — 



" Esca Niliacus capitur crocodilus et hamo, 

 Qui latet occiso in porcello : bellua vivi 

 Illectns porci grunnitu, ad littora tendit, 

 Escam hamumque vorat; limo obruiturque et arena." f 



Herodotus says that the people of Elephantine in Egypt call 

 the crocodile xa/Avf/rj (champse) {Euterpe, cap. 69.); and it is 

 worthy of remark, that Bryant gives, among other names for it, 

 that of Caimin. [Mythology, vol. ii. p. 398.) Pococke and 

 Herodotus both assert that some animal is made to cry near 

 the river, so that by its noise the crocodile may be attracted 

 to the spot, and we find due notice was likewise given on the 

 banks of the Essequibo ; for we read, " the Indian," having 

 laid the bait, " then took the empty shell of a land tortoise, 

 and gave it some heavy blows with an axe. I asked why he 

 did that ? He said, it was to let the cayman hear that some- 

 thing was going on. In fact, the Indian meant it as the cay- 

 man's dinner-bell." (p. 227.) 



Although a ride on the back of a crocodile is not likely ever 

 to become very fashionable, as a morning's exercise or amuse- 

 ment, even in this age of the " march of intellect," yet, it is 

 seen, from the above authorities, that it really is, and long has 

 been, adopted in the process of killing these monsters of the 

 deep. 



Jan, 27. 1829. J. H. P. H. 



' " When they have fixed a piece of swine's flesh on a hook, they cast it 

 into the middle of the river ; and on the bank they have a live pig, which 

 they beat. The crocodile, hearing the squeaking, goes to the noise ; and, 

 having seized the flesh, devours it : they then pull him ; and when they 

 have dragged him on shore, they first of all fill his eyes with mud ; and hav- 

 ing done this, he is very easily despatched." 



f " The crocodile of the Nile is taken with a hook baited with a dead 

 pig. The reptile, allured to the shore by the squeaking of a live pig, devours 

 bait and hook, and is overwhelmed with mud and sand." 



