AMth Flashlight and Rifle -^ 



the body of the hull lloatin^" on the water. It was 

 being torn to shreds l)y numbers of crocodiles, who kej)t 

 reaching their heads out of the water to bite at it. We 

 fired in their direction, l)ut did not disturb the rapacious 

 animals in the least, aaid were obliged to leave them in 

 possession of their bootv. 



I lost several cows in the same way at other times. 

 Men were sometimes seized in a similar manner, and 

 I was once witness of this. (_)n the return journey to 

 the coast after a successful termination to my 1899- 1900 

 expedition, a native fell oft' the foot-plank which bridged 

 the PanLTani River near Koroo^we. He was immediatelv 

 seized by crocodiles, and disappeared before our eyes — ■ 

 a victim to the sweet palm-wine of which he had drunk 

 too freely ! 



Often I have been seized with a lively feeling of 

 dread when we have had to wade through the water 

 shoulder-high in order to get across a river. On these 

 occasions the natives make themselves a strong crocodile 

 charm, a " Uaua." My " Daua " was simply to hre a 

 number of shots into the water above and below the 

 fords! I have seen a cjreat number of natives seized bv 

 crocodiles, many of them escaping in cases where; the 

 crocodiles were small. 



Mv method of fishinof for crocodiles was onlv feasible 

 at night time, or on a ver\- cloudy day, as is often the case; 

 with line-fishing. One absolutely necessary precaution 

 was th(^ careful hiding of the angler Itehind a covert on 

 th(; ri\er-bank. 



The new-comer ma\' often be deceived as to the number 



298 



