IN CROCODILE VALLEY. 205 



some ancient fortress. A run down the river from 

 Champa, where it enters the mountains, to Durjung, 

 where the valley begins to broaden out, is well 

 worth doing in March and April, when the river 

 is low, and the waters of a deep-blue. During the 

 rains, or when the river is full, this cannot be done, 

 owing to the rapids being too dangerous. The 

 sturdy Jhora boatmen shoot the rapids fearlessly in 

 their dug-outs during the dry months. 



One of the reaches of still water in this valley 

 is known locally as Mugger Gagra (crocodile pool). 

 This is a small lake about half-a-mile long, one 

 hundred and fifty yards wide, and many fathoms 

 deep. A low sand bar stretches along the left bank, 

 and it is this bank that is a favourite breeding place 

 for the gharial, or long-nosed crocodile. 



At the time of my visit dozens of these great 

 saurians were basking in the sun on the sand bar on 

 the left bank. They allowed us to approach within 

 twenty yards without making any attempt to move. 

 Our guides said they were females watching over 

 their eggs, which were buried in the sand. We threw 

 several stones at them from the bank above, but 

 they merely snapped their jaws viciously and made 

 a loud hissing sound. They were of a fine slate-blue 

 colour on all the exposed parts, and a creamy white 

 below. The long snout, terminating in a saucer- 

 like enlargement, is the most curious part of this 

 strange animal. The jaw, at its thinnest part, is not 

 more than nine inches round, and the snout ter- 

 minates in a ball about six inches in diameter. 

 Two males shot during the day measured respec- 



