296 IN MALAY FORESTS. 



animal's smile a trace of the creature that was 

 once the happy innocent plaything of the Prophet's 

 daughter. But when the eyelids open the only 

 expression is that of eternal 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 perqui- 

 site, 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 



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

 page 67. 



