THE FEROCITY OF CROCODILES. 263 



argument would appear to prove little after what 

 Livingstone reports of the improvidence of the 

 riverains of the Liambye ; and the following fact 

 goes to show the same carelessness on the banks of 

 the Nile, at the same time that it exhibits the croco- 

 dile at his work: 



M. Tremeaux was on the Nile, in the eastern 

 Soudan, between Senaar and Lony. Several men 

 were on the sand hauling the boat, when they 

 came upon a hollow filled with water from the 

 river; one of them took the cord in his mouth 

 to swim across the hollow, whilst the rest went 

 round the obstacle. " Suddenly I heard many 

 voices shouting, ' He is seized ! he is carried off ! ' 

 One sailor cried out, ' The crocodile ! the croco- 

 dile ! ' a third, < A gun ! bring a gun ! ' Throwing 

 aside the notes which I was writing, I seized a gun 

 and hurried precipitately from the cabin. Looking 

 to that point of tho river to which all eyes were 

 turned, I could only see a circle of undulations, 

 like that which is caused when a body disappears 

 beneath the water. All the haulers were shouting, 

 gesticulating, and advancing cautiously into the water, 

 each pressing against the other, no one daring to 

 detach himself, from the group. The doctor ex- 

 ended his hand towards my gun. 'We must make 

 a noise fire ! ' said he. I gave him the gun, and 



