The Rifle And The Hound In Ceylon(Fiscle Part-3), Sir Samuel White Baker [most inspirational books .txt] 📗

Of A Crocodile Project Through The Upper

Jaw,  And Their White Points Attract Immediate Notice As They Protrude

Through The Brown Scales On The Upper Lip. When The Mouth Is Closed,  The

Jaws Are Thus Absolutely Locked Together.

 

It Is A Common Opinion That The Scales On The Back Of A Crocodile Will

Turn A Ball; This Is A Vulgar Error. The Scales Are Very Tough And Hard,

But A Ball From A Common Fowling-Piece Will Pass Right Through The Body.

I Have Even Seen A Hunting-Knife Driven At One Blow Deep Into The

Hardest Part Of The Back; And This Was A Crocodile Of A Large Size,

About Fourteen Feet Long,  That I Shot At A Place Called Bolgodde,

Twenty-Two Miles From Colombo.

 

A Man Had Been Setting Nets For Fish,  And Was In The Act Of Swimming To

The Shore,  When He Was Seized And Drowned By A Crocodile. The Next

Morning Two Buffaloes Were Dragged Into The Water Close To The Spot,  And

It Was Supposed That These Murders Were Committed By The Same Crocodile.

I Was At Colombo At The Time,  And,  Hearing Of The Accident,  I Rode Off

To Bolgodde To Try My Hand At Catching Him.

 

Bolgodde Is A Very Large Lake Of Many Miles In Circumference,  Abounding

With Crocodiles,  Widgeon,  Teal,  And Ducks.

 

On Arrival That Evening,  The Moodeliar (Headman) Pointed Out The Spot

Where The Man Had Been Destroyed,  And Where The Buffaloes Had Been

Dragged In By The Crocodile. One Buffalo Had Been Entirely Devoured,  But

The Other Had Merely Lost His Head,  And His Carcass Was Floating In A

Horrible State Of Decomposition Near The Bank. It Was Nearly Dark,  So I

Engaged A Small Canoe To Be In Readiness By Break Of Day.

 

Just As The Light Streaked The Horizon I Stepped Into The Canoe. This

Required Some Caution,  As It Was The Smallest Thing That Can Be

Conceived To Support Two Persons. It Consisted Of The Hollow Trunk Of A

Tree,  Six Feet In Length And About One Foot In Diameter. A Small

Outrigger Prevented It From Upsetting,  But It Was Not An Inch From The

Surface Of The Water When I Took My Narrow Seat,  And The Native In The

Stern Paddled Carefully Towards The Carcass Of The Buffalo.

 

Upon Approaching Within A Hundred Yards Of The Floating Carcass,  I

Counted Five Forms Within A Few Yards Of The Flesh. These Objects Were

Not Above Nine Inches Square,  And Appeared Like Detached Pieces Of Rough

Bark. I Knew Them To Be The Foreheads Of Different Crocodiles,  And

Presently One Moved Towards The Half-Consumed Buffalo. His Long Head And

Shoulders Projected From The Water As He Attempted To Fix His Fore-Claws

Into The Putrid Flesh; This,  However,  Rolled Over Towards Him,  And

Prevented Him From Getting A Hold; But The Gaping Jaws Nevertheless Made

A Wide Breach In The Buffalo's Flank. I Was Now Within Thirty Yards Of

Them,  And,  Being Observed,  They All Dived Immediately To The Bottom.

 

The Carcass Was Lying Within A Few Yards Of The Bank,  Where The Water

Was Extremely Deep And Clear. Several Large Trees Grew Close To The Edge

And Formed A Good Hiding-Place; I Therefore Landed,  And,  Sending The

Canoe To A Distance,  I Watched The Water.

 

I Had Not Been Five Minutes In This Position Before I Saw In The Water

At My Feet,  In A Deep Hole Close To The Bank,  The Immense Form Of A

Crocodile As He Was Slowly Rising From His Hiding-Place To The Surface.

He Appeared To Be About Eighteen Feet Long,  And He Projected His Horny

Head From The Surface,  Bubbled,  And Then Floated With Only His Forehead

And Large Eyes Above The Water. He Was A Horrible-Looking Monster,  And

From His Size I Hoped He Was The Villain That Had Committed The Late

Depredations. He Was Within Three Yards Of Me; And,  Although I Stood

Upon The Bank,  His Great Round Eyes Gazed At Me Without A Symptom Of

Fear. The Next Moment I Put A Two-Ounce Ball Exactly Between Them,  And

Killed Him Stone Dead. He Gave A Convulsive Slap With His Tail,  Which

Made The Water Foam,,  And,  Turning Upon His Back,  He Gradually Sank,

Till At Length I Could Only Distinguish The Long Line Of His White Belly

Twenty Feet Below Me.

 

Not Having Any Apparatus For Bringing Him To The Surface,  I Again Took

To The Canoe,  As A Light Breeze That Had Sprung Up Was Gradually Moving

The Carcass Of The Buffalo Away. This I Slowly Followed,  Until It At

Length Rested In A Wide Belt Of Rushes Which Grew Upon The Shallows Near

The Shore. I Pushed The Canoe Into The Rushes Within Four Yards Of The

Carcass,  Keeping To Windward To Avoid The Sickening Smell.

 

I Had Not Been Long In This Position Before The Body Suddenly Rolled

Over As Though Attacked By Something Underneath The Water,  And The Next

Moment The Tall Reeds Brushed Against The Sides Of The Canoe,  Being

Violently Agitated In A Long Line,  Evidently By A Crocodile At The

Bottom.

 

The Native In The Stern Grew As Pale As A Black Can Turn With Fright,

And Instantly Began To Paddle The Canoe Away. This,  However,  I Soon

Replaced In Its Former Position,  And Then Took His Paddle Away To

Prevent Further Accidents. There Sat The Captain Of The Fragile Vessel

In The Most Abject State Of Terror. We Were Close To The Shore,  And The

Water Was Not More Than Three Feet Deep,  And Yet He Dared Not Jump Out

Of The Canoe,  As The Rushes Were Again Brushing Against Its Sides,  Being

Moved By The Hidden Beast At The Bottom. There Was No Help For Him,  So,

After Vainly Imploring Me To Shove The Canoe Into Deep Water,  He At

Length Sat Still.

 

In A Few Minutes The Body Of The Buffalo Again Moved,  And The Head And

Shoulders Of A Crocodile Appeared Above Water And Took A Bite Of Some

Pounds Of Flesh. I Could Not Get A Shot At The Head From His Peculiar

Position,  But I Put A Ball Through His Shoulders,  And Immediately Shoved

The Canoe Astern. Had I Not Done This,  We Should Most Likely Have Been

Upset,  As The Wounded Brute Began To Lash Out With His Tail In All

Directions,  Till He At Length Retired To The Bottom Among The Rushes.

Here I Could Easily Track Him,  As He Slowly Moved Along,  By The Movement

Of The Reeds. Giving The Native The Paddle,  I Now By Threats Induced Him

To Keep The Canoe Over The Very Spot Where The Rushes Were Moving,  And

Part 3 Chapter 3 Pg 27

We Slowly Followed On The Track,  While I Kept Watch In The Bow Of The

Canoe With A Rifle.

 

Suddenly The Movement In The Rushes Ceased,  And The Canoe Stopped

Accordingly. I Leaned Slightly Over The Side To Look Into The Water,

When Up Came A Large Air-Bubble,  And Directly Afterwards An Apparition

In The Shape Of Some Fifteen Pounds Of Putrid Flesh. The Stench Was

Frightful,  But I Knew My Friend Must Be Very Bad Down Below To Disgorge

So Sweet A Morsel. I Therefore Took The Paddle And Poked For Him; The

Water Being Shallow,  I Felt Him Immediately. Again The Rushes Moved; I

Felt The Paddle Twist As His Scaly Back Glided Under It,  And A Pair Of

Gaping Jaws Appeared Above The Water,  Wide Open And Within Two Feet Of

The Canoe. The Next Moment His Head Appeared,  And The Two-Ounce Ball

Shattered His Brain. He Sank To The Bottom,  The Rushes Moved Slightly

And Were Then Still.

 

I Now Put The Canoe Ashore,  And Cutting A Strong Stick,  With A Crook At

One End,  I Again Put Out To The Spot And Dragged For Him. He Was Quite

Dead; And Catching Him Under The Fore-Leg,  I Soon Brought Him Gently To

The Surface Of The Water. I Now Made Fast A Line To His Fore-Leg,  And We

Towed Him Slowly To The Village,  The Canoe Being Level With The Water's

Edge.

 

His Weight In The Water Was A Mere Trifle,  But On Arrival At The Village

On The Banks Of The Lake,  The Villagers Turned Out With Great Glee,  And

Fastened Ropes To Different Parts Of His Body To Drag Him Out. This

Operation Employed About Twenty Men. The Beast Was About Fourteen Feet

Long; And He Was No Sooner On Shore Than The Natives Cut Him To Pieces

With Axes,  And Threw The Sections Into The Lake To Be Devoured By His

Own Species. This Was A Savage Kind Of Revenge,  Which Appeared To Afford

Them Great Satisfaction.

 

Taking A Large Canoe,  I Paddled Along The Shores Of The Lake With A

Shot-Gun,  And Made A Good Bag Of Ducks And Teal,  And Returned To

Breakfast. The Fatness And Flavour Of The Wild Ducks In Ceylon Are Quite

Equal To The Best In England.

 

Part 3 Chapter 4 Pg 28

Equipment For A Hunting Trip--In Chase Of A Herd Of Buffaloes-- Hard

Work--Close Quarters--Six Feet From The Muzzle--A Black With A Devil.

 

There Is One Thing Necessary To The Enjoyment Of Sport In Ceylon,  And

Without Which No Amount Of Game Can Afford Thorough Pleasure; This Is

Personal Comfort. Unlike A Temperate Climate,  Where Mere Attendance

Becomes A Luxury,  The Pursuit Of Game In A Tropical Country Is Attended

With Immense Fatigue And Exhaustion. The Intense Heat Of The Sun,  The

Dense And Suffocating Exhalations From Swampy Districts,  The Constant

Part 3 Chapter 4 Pg 29

And Irritating Attacks From Insects,  All Form Drawbacks To Sport That

Can Only Be Lessened By Excellent Servants And By The Most Perfect

Arrangements For Shelter And Supplies. I Have Tried All Methods Of

Travelling,  And I Generally Manage To Combine Good Sport With Every

Comfort And Convenience.

 

A Good Tent,  Perfectly Waterproof,  And Of So Light A Construction As To

Travel With Only Two Bearers,  Is Absolutely Indispensable. My Tent Is On

The Principle Of An Umbrella,  Fifteen Feet In Diameter,  And Will House

Three Persons Comfortably. A Circular Table Fits In Two Halves Round The

Tent-Pole; Three Folding Chairs Have Ample Space; Three Beds Can Be

Arranged Round The Tent Walls; The Boxes Of Clothes,  Etc.,  Stow Under

The Beds; And A Dressing-Table And Gun-Rack Complete The Furniture.

 

Next In Importance To The Tent Is A Good Canteen. Mine Is Made Of

Japanned Block Tin,  And Contains In Close-Fitting Compartments An Entire

Dinner And Breakfast Service For Three Persons,  Including Everything

That Can Be Required In An Ordinary Establishment. This Is Slung Upon