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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 
Photo from B. F. West 
DR. B. F. WEST AND SIX DYAKS IN BORNEO 
The ordinary way of catching a croco- 
dile is as follows: A piece of hard wood 
about an inch in diameter and about 10 
inches long is sharpened to a point at 
each end. A length of plaited bark of 
the baru tree about 8 feet long is tied 
to a shallow notch in the middle of this 
piece of wood, and a single cane or 
rattan 40 or 50 feet long is tied to the 
end of the bark rope and forms a long 
line. 
The most irresistible bait is the carcass 
of a monkey, though often the body of 
a dog or a snake is used. The more over- 
powering the stench the greater is the 
probability of its being taken, as the 
crocodile will only swallow putrefying 
flesh. When a crocodile has fresh meat, 
he carries it away and hides it in some 
safe place until it decomposes. This bait 
is securely lashed to the wooden bar, and 
one of the pointed ends is tied back with 
a few turns of cotton to the bark rope, 
bringing the bar and rope into the same 
straight line. 
The next thing 1s to suspend the bait 
from the bough of a tree overhanging 
the part of the river known to be the 
haunt of the animals. The bait is hung 
a few feet above the high-water level, 
and the rattan line is left lying on the 
ground, and the end of the rattan is 
planted in the soil. 
Several similar lines are set in differ- 
ent parts of the river, and there left for 
days, until one of the baits is taken by a 
crocodile. Attracted either by the smell 
or sight of the bait, some animal raises 
itself from the water and snaps at the 
hanging bundle, the slack line offering 
no resistance until the bait has been 
swallowed and the brute begins to make 
off. Then the planted end of the line 
holds sufficiently to snap the slight thread 
binding the pointed stick to the bark 
rope. The stick thus returns to its origi- 
nal position, at right angles to the line, 
and becomes jammed across the croco- 
dile’s stomach, the two sharpened points. 
fixing themselves into the flesh. 
