452 FRIGHTFUL SIGHT. Chap. XXII. 



a-dozen hands to haul him up the river, and the shark-hook 

 straightened, and he got away. A large iron hook was next 

 made, but, as the creatures could not swallow it, their jaws 

 soon pressed it straight — and our crocodile-fishing was a 

 failure. As one might expect, — from the power even of a 

 salmon — the tug of a crocodile was terribly strong. 



The corpse of a boy floated past the ship ; a monstrous 

 crocodile rushed at it with the speed of a greyhound, 

 caught it and shook it, as a terrier dog does a rat. 

 Others dashed at the prey, each with his powerful tail 

 causing the water to churn and froth, as he furiously tore 

 off a piece. In a few seconds it was all gone. The sight 

 was frightful to behold. The Shire swarmed with croco- 

 diles ; we counted sixty-seven of these repulsive reptiles on 

 a single bank, but they are not as fierce as they are in 

 some rivers. " Crocodiles" says Captain Tuckey, " are so 

 plentiful in the Congo, near the rapids, and so frequently carry 

 off the women, who at daylight go down to the river for 

 water, that, while they are filling their calabashes, one of the 

 party is usually employed in throwing large stones into the 

 water outside." Here, either a calabash on a long pole is used 

 in drawing water, or a fence is planted. The natives eat 

 the crocodile, but to us the idea of tasting the musky- 

 scented, fishy-looking flesh carried the idea of cannibalism. 

 Humboldt remarks, that in South America the alligators of 

 some rivers are more dangerous than in others. Alligators 

 differ from crocodiles in the fourth or canine tooth going 

 into a hole or socket in the upper jaw, while, in the croco- 

 dile it fits into a notch. The forefoot of the crocodile has 

 five toes not webbed, the hindfoot has four toes which are 

 webbed; in the alligator the web is altogether wanting. 

 They are so much alike that they would no doubt breed 

 together. 



