THE FEROCITY OF CROCODILES. 271 



spectacle which the appearance of the monster 

 seemed to promise us ; but, except the merchant, all 

 congratulated the Nubian in having escaped so great 

 a peril. The crocodile reappeared several times on 

 the surface of the river, and allowed himself to float 

 down with the current." 



Later, at Khartoum, Mr. Combes was witness of 

 facts which served to convince him that the fears he 

 experienced under the circumstances we are going to 

 relate were by no means without cause ; but how 

 can one reconcile these facts with the opinions ex- 

 pressed by him on the nature of the crocodile ? 



"I was walking," says he, "on the banks of the 

 Blue Nile, whilst many persons were bathing in the 

 river. I was astonished at their imprudence, but the 

 swimmers, assured by their number and the noise 

 which they made, did not seem to experience the 

 least disquietude ; nevertheless, at the moment when 

 they least expected it, I heard a great cry, and a man 

 disappeared. The other swimmers, seized with fright, 

 regained the shore with precipitation, and threw into 

 the river whatever they could put their hands on, 

 redoubling their clamour. "We were in a state of mortal 

 anxiety, seeking on all sides traces of the man who 

 had disappeared. On looking attentively, we discovered 

 a slight furrow, which cut the river crosswise, and 

 after a moment of cruel suspense, we saw an immense 



