428 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



our afTiftants was to Hide the quadrant down the hill, in its 

 cafe, which would have utterly deftroyed it ; and as our boat 

 was but a very indifferent embarkation, it was obliged to 

 make feveral turns to and fro before we got all our feveral 

 packages landed on the weftern fide. This aflemblage, and, 

 the paffage of our camels, feemed to have excited the appe- 

 tite, or the curiofity, of the crocodiles. One, in particu- 

 lar, fwam feveral times backwards and forwards along 

 the fide of the boat, without, however, making any attack 

 upon any of us ; but, being exceedingly tired of fuch com- 

 pany, upon his fecond or third venture over, I fired at him 

 with a rifle- gun, and fliot him diredlly under his fore fhoul-. 

 der in the belly. The wound was undoubtedly mortal, and; 

 Very few animals could have lived a moment after recei- 

 ving it. He, however, dived to the bottom, leaving the wai- 

 ter deeply tinged with his blood. Nor did we fee him again 

 at that time ; but the people at the ferry brought him to me 

 the] day after, having found him perfe6lly dead. He was 

 about twelve feet long ; and the boatmen told me that thefe 

 are by much the mofl: dangerous, being more fierce and ac-- 

 tivc than the large ones. The people of Sennaar eat the 

 crocodile, efpecially the Nuba. I never tailed it myfelf, but 

 it looks very much like Congor eel.. 



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CHAa 



