chap. hi. CROCODILE AT BELGODD& LAKE. 59 



On arrival that evening, the moodeliar (headman) 

 pointed out the spot where the man had been destroyed, 

 and where the buffaloes had been dragged in by the 

 crocodile. One buffalo had been entirely devoured, 

 but the other had merely lost his head, and his carcass 

 was floating in a horrible state of decomposition near 

 the bank. It was nearly dark, so I engaged a small 

 canoe to be in readiness by break of day. 



Just as the light streaked the horizon I stepped 

 into the canoe. This required some caution, as it was 

 the smallest thing that can be conceived to support 

 two persons. It consisted of the hollow trunk of a 

 tree, six feet in length and about one foot in diameter. 

 A small outrigger prevented it from upsetting, but it 

 was not an inch from the surface of the water when I 

 took my narrow seat, and the native in the stern 

 paddled carefully towards the carcass of the buffalo. 



Upon approaching within a hundred yards of the 

 floating carcass, I counted five forms within a few 

 yards of the flesh. These objects were not above nine 

 inches square, and appeared like detached pieces of 

 rough bark. I knew them to be the foreheads of dif- 

 ferent crocodiles, and presently one moved towards the 

 half-consumed buffalo. His long head and shoulders 

 projected from the water as he attempted to fix his 

 fore-claws into the putrid flesh ; this, however, rolled 

 over towards him, and prevented him from getting a 

 ^old ; but the gaping jaws nevertheless made a wide 



