130 THE CROCODILE. 



seemed to have sufficient play to enable the animal to bend like 

 a bow to either side, and consequently to wheel round without 

 any great difficulty. The skin is defended by a suit of armour, 

 composed of large scales, disposed like parallel girdles, and al 

 most impenetrable to a musket-ball, so that the belly is the most 

 vulnerable part. The general colour of the crocodile is a dark 

 ash-coloured brown on the upper part, and a whitish citron on 

 the belly ; the sides being speckled with large spots of both these 

 colours. 



Such are the figure and conformation of this terrible animal, 

 which, under the name of the crocodile, or the alligator, abounds 

 in the Nile, the Niger, the Ganges, and other great rivers of Af- 

 rica, and the warmer parts of Asia and America. In Upper 

 Egypt, and in the Niger, they are extremely destructive, lying 

 in wait whole hours, and even days, at the edge of the water, 

 quite motionless, resembling the trunk of an old tree, until some 

 animal comes to drink. 



This formidable creature spares neither man, nor the fiercest 

 quadruped that comes within its reach. It seizes its victim with 

 a spring, and instantly drags it into the water, and if the captive 

 happen to escape, it pursues with greater celerity than might 

 be expected from its conformation. The strength of the croco- 

 dile is amazingly great, and, as its scaly coat of mail is impene- 

 trable, so its offensive arms are irresistible ; and escape, rather 

 tli an contest, can alone afford security against its attacks. 



Frequent combats happen between this creature and the 

 tiger, one of the fiercest and most terrible of all quadrupeds. 

 Tigers frequently go down to the rivers to drink, and, upon 

 these occasions, the crocodile, if near, never fails to seize them. 

 The ferocious beast, however, seldom falls unrevenged ; for the 

 instant he finds himself seized, he turns with great agility and 

 fierceness on his enemy, and endeavours to strike his claws into 

 the crocodile's eyes, while the latter drags him into the water, 

 where they continue to struggle until the tiger be drowned, and 

 his triumphant antagonist feasts upon his carcass. Notwith- 

 standing the formidable teeth and claws of the crocodile, its tail 

 is an instrument of destruction scarcely less formidable ; for 

 with a single stroke of it, this animal has frequently been known 

 to overturn a canoe, and then devour the poor savage, its 

 conductor. 



The crocodile, thus seizing and devouring every living creature 

 without distinction, is equally dreaded by all. No animal, but 

 man alone, can combat it with success. We are informed by 

 La bat, that a negro, with no other weapon than a knife in his 

 right hand, and his left arm wrapt about with a strong piece of 

 cow's hide, has sometimes ventured to attack this animal in its 



