292 CROCODILES. 



under the waves, leaving large traces of blood on the 

 water. Our boat, carried along by the current, soon 

 passed the spot where the crocodile had been struck, 

 and we discovered near the shore fresh traces of blood. 

 The pilot turned the prow towards land, and after 

 sailing for half an hour along the shore, we saw the 

 monster extended on the bank and expiring. We 

 landed immediately and hauled him on board." 



The negroes in the country watered by the Anengue 

 hunt the crocodile vigorously, sometimes with the 

 gun, but more frequently with a kind of harpoon : 

 they aim near the joints of the fore-legs. 



It will be recollected, that when Du Chaillu entered 

 this river the crocodiles were npt in the least afraid. 

 The traveller manoeuvred his boat so as to isolate 

 the largest of the troop, and lodged a ball in his 

 body in the place wo have just indicated. The animal 

 turned over heavily, and after beating the water for a 

 few instants, he sank into the mud. The others turned 

 their stupid eyes towards him for a moment, and 

 then resumed their torpor. The hunter shot a second, 

 which buried itself in the mud like the preceding. 

 They did not take away either one or the other, as the 

 men did not care to go to seek them in the black 

 mud. 



Some days afterwards M. du Chaillu took part in 

 a great crocodile hunt. They went in canoes of a 



