THE PERSONAL ENEMIES OF MAN 



337 



course, having reference to that notable species, the Nile Crocodile 

 (Crocodilus Niloticus, fig. 1235). The following remarks by Sir 

 Samuel Baker (in Wild Beasts and Their Ways] will sufficiently 

 illustrate the point: "The throat of a crocodile is not only 

 large, but is capable of great expansion, and although the habits 

 of the creature usually permit the body of a victim to rest in quiet 

 until it is devoured in piecemeal, there are many exceptions to 

 the rule; large crocodiles will swallow a small person without 

 the slower operation of dismemberment. . . . When I was in 



Fig. 1235. Nile Crocodile (Crocodilus Niloticus) 



command of the Khedive's expedition, our losses through croco- 

 diles were very distressing, all of which were terrible examples 

 of the ferocity, combined with cunning, which characterizes this 

 useless scourge. On one occasion the vessels were sailing up 

 the White Nile with a strong north wind, making at least 7 

 knots an hour ; one of the cavasses was sitting upon the deck, 

 with his legs dangling over the sides of the deeply-laden vessel, 

 his feet being half a yard above the water. Suddenly a rush was 

 made by a very large crocodile, and the man was seized and 

 carried off in a shorter time than it would take to announce the 

 fact. This was done in the presence of a hundred men on board 

 the vessel, and nothing was ever heard of the unfortunate cavass." 



