296 IN MALAY FORESTS. 



a trace of the creature that was once the happy inno- 

 cent plaything of the Prophet's daughter. But when 

 the eyelids open the only expression is that of eter- 

 nal rancour and eternal resentment of her blighting 

 curse. 1 



The sleeping crocodile allowed us to approach 

 within easy distance, and I was able to kill it on 

 the spot. We did not see another for some time, 

 and then I only got a difficult shot, which I missed. 

 The tide was now running in fast, and in more than 

 one place there were some tracks to show where a 

 crocodile had returned to the water. 



It was time to stop, and in answer to a signal the 

 launch steamed up alongside and took us on board. 

 We had done fairly well, and the three crocodiles 

 represented a total length of twenty-four feet. The 

 Government pays a reward of twenty -five cents a 

 foot, and as this was Manap's perquisite, the 

 morning's work meant six dollars to him, or about 

 the cost of the living of himself and his family for 

 a month. 



While lunch was being prepared I stood in the 

 bows of the launch and took in all that I could of 

 the scene I have attempted to describe : the colours 

 of the water, of the mud, and of the mangroves ; the 

 varied multitude of the birds, the fishes, and the crabs 

 that crowded the foreground. In a few minutes we 

 came to a bend of the stream and the sea lay in 

 front of us, a broad expanse of blue, with waves all 

 laughing in the sun and twinkling into golden 



1 The Malay story of the creation of the first crocodile is told on 

 page 67. 



