262 CROCODILES. 



impending over them as the hare has when not 

 actually pursued by the hound ; and in many ren- 

 contres, in which they escape, they had not time 

 to be afraid, and only laugh at the circumstance 

 afterwards : there is a want of calm reflection. In 

 many cases not referred to in this book, I feel more 

 horror now in thinking on dangers I have run, than 

 I did at the time of their occurrence." 



He goes on to say, " I never could avoid shudder- 

 ing on seeing my men swimming across these 

 branches, after one of them had been caught by the 

 thigh and taken below ; he, however, retained his full 

 presence of mind, and having a small square ragged- 

 edged javelin with him when dragged to tlie bottom, 

 gave the alligator a stab behind the shoulder. The 

 alligator, writhing in pain, left him, and he came 

 out with the deep marks of the reptile's teeth on 

 his thigh." 



"We have seen that, according to Mr. Combes, 

 the ferocity of the crocodile has been much exag- 

 gerated, and he has shown us, in fact, the bargemen 

 going into the water up to their middle, and children 

 filling their pitchers on the banks of the Nile. 

 " Nevertheless," he adds, " accidents are rare, and 

 it is easy to understand that if the- inhabitants of 

 Egypt were not satisfied by long experience, they 

 would not show themselves so confiding.*' This 



