8836 Reptiles. 



hurried and uneasy glance around, and seeing nothing to fear will lie 

 down, but will for some time retain its head elevated on the watch. 

 Gradually overcome with sleep by the influence of the sun, the head 

 at length drops until prostrate upon the sand. Saleh, who has been 

 narrowly watching the above proceedings from behind his bulwark, 

 and whose nerves have been as irritable as those of his unconscious 

 prey were tranquil, fires, and if fortunate enough to plant his ball in 

 the brain, the crocodile, after a twitch or two of the tail, remains on 

 the spot ; but if, although hit hard, that organ has remained intact the 

 crocodile attempts to escape, pursued by our hero, who seizes the tail, 

 and lifting its extremity as high as possible from the ground, thus 

 rendering the animal powerless, so succeeds in arresting its progress 

 for a second, until a companion shall have battered in its skull with 

 an axe. 



This Saleh admits is dangerous work, but practice makes perfect. 

 If the wounded animal is conscious of his approach the tail is instantly 

 curved to receive him. Placing himself in the arc described by it 

 he escapes injury, but if on the wrong side a blow from it might be 

 fatal. 



The negroes spear and catch crocodiles with baited lines, and on 

 our subsequent progress through the Shillook, Dinka and Jangal dis- 

 tricts we have picked up several of these lines, which, in lieu of a hook, 

 are armed with a piece of hard wood a foot in length, pointed at each 

 end and attached in its centre to the line. A fish, bird, or flesh or 

 entrails of any animal serve for a bait, and when, as usual, greedily 

 taken, the short line is torn from its slender fastenings on the bank, 

 but a float indicating its whereabouts, the negroes pursue in canoes 

 and spear the crocodile. 



What strange things sometimes happen ! On the 21st of April, in 

 company with three other boats belonging to our expedition, we were 

 becalmed, and were towing with great difficulty among the rank high 

 weeds on the western bank in the Nouaer district. Whilst I was 

 employed in writing the above from my notes, one of our sailors in 

 swimming on board, and when within a couple of strokes only from 

 the boat, was seized by a crocodile, and instantly drawn beneath the 

 surface in deep water to appear no more. 



John Petherick. 



The Nouaer Country, White Nile. 



