WILD LIFE ACROSS THE WORLD 



absolute minimum of clothing, and tie a towel round 

 my chin to prevent the perspiration from dropping on 

 the films. There were other discomforts, too. For 

 instance, on several nights I had heard something 

 scratching round the case on which I kept my trays, 

 but had not really paid any attention to the matter. 

 However, when I came to move the case some days 

 later I discovered two huge scorpions, which had actually 

 been running round my bare feet whilst I was at work ! 



On the other side of the bay at Kudat were some 

 rubber and tobacco plantations which I was anxious 

 to visit to see the methods of cultivation and curing, 

 as well as to study the natural life there. 



The outward trip was uneventful. We crossed 

 the bay in about four hours, then ran up the smaller 

 river for some little distance to a tobacco plantation, 

 where, after being shown round, I lunched with the 

 Dutch gentleman in charge of the place. Amongst 

 other things my host showed me some of the largest 

 crocodile skulls I have ever seen. Apparently he had 

 been having great trouble with these brutes, one of 

 which had recently pulled a bullock belonging to the 

 plantation clean into the river and dragged him out 

 of sight under the water. 



I have always done my hunting with a camera instead 

 of with a rifle, never taking life if I could avoid so doing ; 

 but the crocodile, Hke the poisonous snake, is one of 

 those creatures which I hold it is justifiable to kill 



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