THE COW AND THE CROCODILE 377 



The time when it is most dangerous to enter the water 

 on account of these greedy monsters is towards sunset, 

 for then the fish come to the shallow water to feed, and the 

 crocodiles come to prey on them ; they may be seen 

 dashing furiously like huge pike after the larger fish, who 

 often leap several feet out of the water in the vain hope 

 of evading their pursuer. 



Their cunning is only equalled by their ferocity, and 

 nothing daunts them, not even the sight of a large steamer 

 passing quickly through the water, from the deck of which 

 they will even snatch any person heedless enough to place 

 himself within their reach. This happened more than once 

 on Sir Samuel Baker's explorations of the White Nile. A 

 sailor, seated on deck dangling his feet over the side of 

 the vessel within half a yard of the water, was seized and 

 carried off so swiftly, that, though a hundred men were 

 present, nothing more was ever seen or heard of him. 

 Another sailor, who was seated on the rudder washing 

 himself, was borne off just as suddenly in the sight of all 

 his comrades. 



The troops were in the habit of bathing in a small 

 dock, which had been made for the accommodation of one 

 of the steamers, and was connected with the river by a 

 canal thirty yards long and only three feet deep. This 

 was considered a perfectly safe bathing place, and free 

 from the intrusions of crocodiles. One evening, however, 

 the captain was absent from muster, and as it was known 

 that be bad gone to bathe at this basin, search was 

 immediately made there for him. His clothes and reel fez 

 alone being found on the bank, ;i number of tneu went 

 into the water in search of his body, which was not long in 

 being discovered. One leg being broken in several places 

 proved unmistakably that it was the work of a crocodile, 

 who would doubtless soon have returned to devour his 

 victim. Some months after this catastrophe another 

 occurred in the same canal, occasioned, it was supposed, 

 by the same monster, though there were no actual proofs 



