714 



A HISTORY OF 



true. From not having seen any thing so for- 

 midable or bold in the circle of our own ex- 

 perience, we are not to determine upon the 

 wonderful transactions in distant climates. It 

 is probable. that these, and a number of more 

 dreadful encounters, happen every day among 

 those forests and in those rivers where the 

 most formidable animals are known to reside; 

 where the elephant and rhinoceros, the tiger 

 and the hippopotamus, the shark and the cro- 

 codile, have frequent opportunities of meet- 

 ing, and every day of renewing their engage- 

 ments. 



Whatever be the truth of these accounts, 

 certain it is that crocodiles are taken by the 

 Siamese in great abundance. The natives of 

 that empire seem particularly fond of the cap- 

 ture of all the great animals with which their 

 country abounds. We have already seen 

 their success in taking and taming the elephant ; 

 nor are they less powerful in exerting their 

 dominion over the crocodile. The manner of 

 taking it in Siam, is by throwing three or four 

 strong nets across a river, at proper distances 

 from each other ; so that if the animal breaks 

 through the first, it may be caught by one of 

 the rest. When it is first taken, it employs 

 the tail, which is the grand instrument of 

 strength, with great force ; but after many 

 unsuccessful struggles, the animal's strength is 

 at last exhausted. Then the natives approach 

 their prisoner in boats, and pierce him with 

 their weapons in the most tender parts, till he 

 is weakened with the loss of blood. When he 

 has done stirring, they begin by tying up his 

 mouth, and with the same cord they fasten his 

 head to bis tail, which last they bend back 

 like a bow. However, they are not yet per- 

 fectly secure from his fury ; but, for their 

 greater safety, they tie his fore-feet, as well as 

 those behind, to the top of his back. These 

 precautions are not useless : for if they were 

 to omit them, the crocodile would soon re- 

 cover strength enough to do a great deal of 

 mischief. 



The crocodile, thus brought into subjection, 

 or bred up young, is used to divert and enter- 

 tain the great men of the East. It is often 

 managed like a horse ; a curb is put into its 

 mouth, and the rider directs it as he thinks 

 proper. Though awkwardly formed, it does 

 not fail to proceed with some degree of swift- 

 ness ; and is thought to move as fast as some 



of the most unwieldy of our own animals, the 

 hog or the cow. Some, indeed, asM rt, that 

 no animal could escape it, but for its difficulty 

 in turning ; but to this resource we could wish 

 none would trust who are so unhappy as to 

 find themselves in danger. 



Along the rivers of Africa this animal is 

 sometimes taken in the same manner as the 

 shark. Several Europeans go together in a 

 large boat, and throw out a piece of beef upon 

 a hook and strong fortified line, which the 

 crocodile seizing and swallowing, is drawn 

 along, floundering and struggling until its 

 strength is quiio exhausted, when it is pierced 

 in the belly, which is its tendercst part; and 

 thus, after numberless wounds, is drawn ashore. 

 In this part of the world also, as well as at 

 Siam, the crocodile makes an object of savage 

 pomp near the palaces of their monarchs. 

 Philips informs us, that at Sahi, on the slave 

 coast, there are two pools of water, near the 

 royal palace, where crocodiles are bred, as 

 we breed carp in our ponds in Europe. 



Hitherto I have been describing the croco- 

 dile as it is found in unpeopled countries, and 

 undisturbed by frequent encounters \\ ith man- 

 kind. In this state it is fierce and cruel, at- 

 tacking every object that seems endued with 

 motion : but in Egypt, and other countries 

 long peopled, where the inhabitants are 

 civilized, and the rivers frequented, this ani- 

 mal is solitary and fearful. So far from com- 

 ing to attack a man, it sinks at his approach 

 with the utmost precipitation ; and, as if sen- 

 sible of superior power, ever declines the 

 engagement. We have seen more than one 

 instance in animated nature of the contempt 

 which at first the lower orders of the creation 

 have for man, till they have experienced his 

 powers of destruction. The lion and the tiger 

 among beasts, the whale among fishes, the 

 nlb'itross and the penguin among birds, meet 

 the first encounters of man without dread or 

 apprehension : but they soon learn to acknow- 

 ledge his superiority, and take refuge from his 

 power in the deepest fastnesses of nature. 

 This may account for the different characters 

 which have been given us of the crocodile and 

 the alligator, by travellers at different times ; 

 some describing them as harmless and fearful, 

 as ever avoiding the sight of man, and prey- 

 ing only upon fishes: others ranking them 

 among the destroyers of nature ; describing 



