CROCODILE CATCHING. 73 



water like a yellow snake. Out of his basket he 

 produced a piece of wood large enough to carry the 

 hook and bait, and buoyant enough to support its 

 weight above the level of the water. To this wood he 

 fastened the bait with some bamboo pegs, and then 

 gently stopped the canoe at a narrow entrance that 

 led between two islands to a deep secluded pool. 

 Carefully placing the bait and its wooden support in 

 the water, so that it floated true and upright, he 

 muttered the following invocation : 



" Sang Kaga, Sang Ragai, 

 Receive this gift from Siti Fatimah. 

 If thou receive it not, 

 The water will choke thee, 

 The bones of animals will choke thee, 

 The skin of animals will choke thee, 

 The blood of animals will choke thee ! " 



He then picked up the paddle and struck the water 

 three resounding blows with the flat blade. " The 

 crocodile will hear that/' he turned to say, " and will 

 come the sooner." He then pushed the bait about 

 two or three yards away from the land so that it 

 floated in open water, and carefully disposed the 

 rattan-line along the bushes that fringed the island 

 in such manner that none of it lay in the water. 

 The end of the rattan was not fastened to anything, 

 and the crocodile was free to carry off hook, line, and 

 bait whither it chose, but whithersoever it might go 

 the rattan would float on the water's surface and 

 betray the presence of the crocodile. We placed 

 the three other baits in suitable localities, and then 

 had done all that we could do for the present. The 



