A CROCODILE 233 



beads and a spoonful of salt, tied up in a paper. In 

 this way he brought us fruits and vegetables as long as 

 we remained there. He would sit on the knoll by the 

 hour, watching us skin birds, occasionally coming near 

 enough to pick up things we threw to him, but never 

 coming to the camp. 



Early one morning, I went to the river for a drink. 

 As I dipped my cup into the water, I was startled by a 

 slight movement at my right ; and, looking in that 

 direction, I beheld a large crocodile, not more than 

 ten feet away. He had lain so quietly that I had 

 mistaken him for a log; but, as may be imagined, I 

 did not remain to determine his species. Our bath, 

 the previous evening, at that place, would not have 

 been so enjoyable had we known the proximity of this 

 scaly monster. 



We came across delicious nuts at this place, which 

 grew quite abundantly in the forest. They looked like 

 large reddish-purple plums, the size of a swan's egg ; 

 and under each of the trees where they were to be 

 found were stones on which the natives had cracked 

 them. We concluded they must be eatable, and found 

 the kernel sweet and well flavored. 



One day when we were both out shooting, we heard 

 a most remarkable noise, that for a long time puzzled 

 us. It sounded exactly like the puffing of a locomo- 

 tive half a mile away, and we came to the conclusion 

 that a party must be coming up the river in a steam- 



