240 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
Along the rivers of Africa this animal is sometimes taken 
in the same manner as the shark. Several Europeans go to- 
gether in a large boat, anti throw out a piece of beef upon a 
hook and strong fortified line, which the crocodile seizing 
and swallowing, is drawn along, floundering and struggling, 
until its strength is quite exhausted, when it is pierced 
in the belly, which is its tenderest part; and thus, after 
numberless wounds, is drawn ashore. In this part of the 
world also, as well as at Siam, the crocodile makes an object 
of savage pomp, near the palaces of their monarchs. 
Philips informs us, that at Sabi, on the Slave Coast, there 
are two pools of water near the royal palace, where croco- 
diles are bred, as we breed carp in our ponds in Europe. 
There is a very powerful smell of musk about all these 
animals. Travellers are not agreed in what part of the body 
these musk-bags are contained; but the most probable opi- 
nion is, that this substance is amassed in glands under the 
legs and arms. The crocodile’s flesh is, at best, very bad, 
tough eating; but, unless the musk-bags be separated, it is 
insupportable. The negroes themselves cannot well digest 
the flesh ; but a crocodile’s egg is to them the most delicate 
morsel in the world. 
All crocodiles breed near fresh waters : and for this pur- 
pose the female, when she comes to lay, chooses a place by 
the side of a river, or some fresh-water lake, to deposit hei 
brood in. She always pitches upon an extensive sandy shore, 
where she may dig a hole without danger of detection from 
the ground being fresh turned up. There she deposits from 
eighty to an hundred eggs, of the size of a tennis-ball, and of 
the same figure, covered with a tough, while skin, like parch- 
ment. She takes above an hour to perform this task • and 
then covering up the place so artfully, that it can scarcely be 
perceived, she goes back, to return again the next day. Upon 
her return, with the same precaution as before, she lays about 
the same number of eggs ; and the day following also a like 
number. Thus, having deposited her whole quantity, and 
having covered them close up in the sand, they are soon vivi- 
fied by the heat of the sun ; and at the end of thirty days 
the young ones begin to break open the shell. At this time, 
the female is instinctively taught that her young ones want 
relief; and she goes upon land, to scratch away the sand, 
and set them free. Her brood quickly avail themselves of 
their liberty; apart run unguided to the water ; another 
part ascend the back of the female, and are carried thither 
in greater safety. But the moment they arrive at the water 
all natural connection is at an end. The whole brood 
scatters into different parts of the bottom; bv far the 
