zz+ COOI’s VOYAGE. 
Englilh at B'encoolen, and had learnt a little of the language, 
told Mr. Banks that her father, when he was dying, acquainted 
her that he had a crocodile for his fudara, and folemnly charged 
her to give him meat when he lhould be dead, telling her in 
what part of the river he was to be found, and by what name 
he was to be called up. That in purfuance of her father’s in- 
ftrudlions and command, Ihe went to the river, and Handing 
upon fhe bank, called out Radja Pouii, white king, upon 
which a crocodile came to her out of the watet, and eat from 
her hand the provifions that fhe had brought him. When fhe 
was defired to defcribe this paternal uncle, who in foitrange a 
/hape had taken up his dwelling in the water, Hie faid,' that he 
was not like other crocodiles, but much handfomer ; that his 
body was fpotted and his nofe red ; that he had bracelets of 
gold upon his feet, and earrings of the fame metal in his ears. 
Mr. Banks heard this tale of ridiculous falfehood patiently to 
the end, and then difmifted the girl r without reminding her, 
that a crocodile with ears was as ftrange a monfter as a dog 
with a cloven foot. Some time after this a fervant whom Mr. 
Banks had hired at Batavia, and' who was the fon of a Dutch- 
man by a Javanefe woman, thought ft to acquaint his mailer 
that he had feen a crocodile of the fame kind, which had alfo- 
been feen by many others, both Dutchmen and Malays: that 
being very young, it was but two feet long, and had bracelets - 
of gold upon its feet. There is no giving credit to thefe dories,- 
faid Mr. Banks, for I was told the other day that a crocodile 
had earrings; and you know that could not be true, becaufe 
crocodiles have no ears. Ah Sir, faid the man, thefe Sudara 
Oran arc not like other crocodiles ; they have five toes upon- 
each foot, a large tongue that fills their mouth, and ears alio,, 
although they are indeed very frnall. 
How much of what thefe people related they believed, cannot 1 
be known ; for there are no bounds to the credulity of ignorance 
and folly. In the girl’s relation, however, there are feme things 
in which Ihe could not be deceived; and therefore mult have 
been guilty of wilful falfehood. Her father might perhapsgive 
her a charge to feed a crocodile, in confequence of his believing 
that it was his Sudara; but its coming to her out of the river, 
when Ihe called it by the name of White King, and taking the 
food Ihe had brought it, mull have been a fable of her own in- 
vention ; for this being falfe, it was impolfible that (he fhouid 
believe it to be true. The girl’s ftory, however, as well as 
that of the man, is a ftrong proof that they both firmly believed 
the exiftence of crocodiles that are Sudaras to men; and the 
girl’s fiftion will be eafily accounted for, if we recolledt, that 
the earned defire which every one feels to make others believe 
what he believes himfeif, is a ftrong temptation to fupport it 
by unjuftifiable evidence. And the averring what is known to 
