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Immense Crocodiles of the Ancient Seas
his body prevents him from turning sud- Except when pressed by hunger or denly round, he swims forward with urged by the necessity of depositing its astonishing velocity when about to seize eggs, this enormous creature seldom his prey. On land his motions are leaves the water. Its usual method is to float along upon the surface, like a large the enormous fecundity of the Crocodiles, piece of timber, and seize whatever ani- and in this capacity they destroy and mals come within its reach; but, when devour millions of their eggs. this method fails, it then goes closer to the bank.
The Crocodile, from its immense size and voracious habits, is an object of fear, All the rivers of Guinea are pestered and offerings are, in some countries, made with vast shoals of Crocodiles. On hot to it as to a deity. The inhabitants of days, great numbers of these animals lie Java, when attacked by disease, somebasking on the banks of rivers, and as times build a kind of coop, and fill it soon as they observe any one approach with such eatables as they think most they plunge into the water. M. Adanson agreeable to the Crocodiles. They place says that in the river Senegal, on the the coop upon the bank of a river or western coast of Africa, he has some- canal, in perfect confidence that, by such times seen more than two hundred of offerings, they shall be freed from their them swimming together, with their maladies, and in a full persuasion that, heads just above water, resembling a if any person could be so wicked as to great number of trunks of trees floating take away those viands, such person would down the river.
Baby Crocodiles.
The young of the Crocodile are produced from eggs deposited in the sand, and hatched by the sun, near the bank of some river or lake. The female is said to draw upon himself the malady for the cure of which the offering was made.
The worship of Crocodiles was indeed a folly among men of ancient date: Herodotus says that among some of the Egyptian tribes the Crocodiles are held sacred, be extremely cautious in depositing them but that among others they are regarded unobserved. The general number of eggs as enemies. The inhabitants in the is from eighty to a hundred. They are environs of Thebes and the Lake Mæris not larger than those of a goose, and are are firmly persuaded of their sanctity; covered with a tough white skin. She and both these tribes bring up and tame carefully fills up the hole before she a Crocodile, adorning his ears with rings leaves them. In each of the two suc- of precious stones and gold, and putting ceeding days she lays as many more, ornamental chains about his fore feet. which she hides in a similar manner. They also regularly give him victuals, The eggs are hatched generally in about offer victims to him and treat him in the thirty days. most respectful manner while living, and, On emerging into the air, the animals when dead, embalm and bury him in a immediately run into the water, where consecrated coffin. multitudes of them are devoured by vari- Mr. Stanley once came near losing his ous kinds of fish, and even by the larger life by one of these monsters. While animals of their own species. It is, how- encamped near the Gambe, its calm ever, in the destruction of their eggs that waters, on which lotus-leaves rested the most important service to mankind placidly, all around looking picturesque is effected. The ichneumon and the vul- and peaceful, invited him to take a bath. tures (the latter of which, in hot climates, He discovered a shady spot under a wide. collect in immense numbers) seem pecu- spreading mimosa, where the ground liarly appointed by Providence to abridge sloped down to the still water, and hav &