472 AN ENGLISHMAN KILLED BY A CROCODILE. 



lope, I nearly trod on one of these monsters who was fast 

 asleep. My foot was already descending on his tail before I 

 was aware of him. Without daring to move, I gently raised 

 the rifle to my shoulder, and, with a well-directed ball behind 

 the ear, killed him on the spot. 



One does not often hear of crocodiles in these parts seizing 

 on human beings when immersed in water, which would seem 

 to prove that these animals are " man-eaters" from the com- 

 pulsion of hunger rather than from habit. Indeed, I have 

 .been assured by several persons that there is little danger of 

 being attacked, provided one makes a great noise previously 

 to entering the water. Accidents, however, do occur. Only 

 a few years ago an English gentleman, Mr. R , was car- 

 ried off by one of these horrid creatures. He and his com- 

 panion, Mr. M , who told me the sad story, had en- 

 camped on the banks of the Zouga, and, as a number of 

 water-fowl were seen disporting themselves on the stream, Mr. 



R proceeded there in the hope of obtaining a shot. He 



soon succeeded in killing several, and among the rest a Mus- 

 covy duck ; but he was unable to secure it for want of a boat. 



While looking about for a canoe, he observed a fine ante- 

 lope approaching ; and, running quickly toward the wagon, 

 which was hard by, he called out to his men to bring him a 

 rifle. On his return to the river, he found that the antelope 

 had escaped. He then proceeded toward the spot whence 

 he had shot at the duck, which was still floating on the sur- 

 face. His companion having by this time joined him, he ex- 

 pressed his determination to possess the bird at any cost, and 

 that he would swim after it. He confessed, however, that 

 he felt some doubt about the safety of such a proceeding, 

 ndding that he had once been witness to the death of a man 

 who was seized and destroyed by a shark alongside his own 

 boat. Notwithstanding this (his own) opinion of the risk he 

 was about to incur, and the warning of his friend, he un- 

 dressed and plunged into the stream. Having swum a little 



