CROCODILE SLAUGHTER

Evening Star, Issue 20313, 23 October 1929, Page 11

CROCODILE SLAUGHTER

OVER 380 KILLED There is no mercy for the crocodile in Africa. It is killed ruthlessly bynatives, or shot by white men, because it is the most deadly reptile that infests African watery. There is one white .nan who claims to have shot over three hundred crocodiles. He is Captain Louis Patrick Howler, and he tells the story in ‘ African Nights ’ 1 have a great hatred for crocodiles (he writes), and i think ,it is because on one occasion, while crossing the Zambesi, my hunter was killed by a crocodile We had been hunting on the opposite ban!; to where my camp was tationed, and, reaching the river after dark, we were faced with the choice of staving all night in the lion-in"Vsted bush or crossing the river and risking the crocodiles. No native will cross the river after dark in a canoe if he can help it, for fear of hippos and crocodiles. But Cheval, my hunter, shared my opinion, and we both preferred to venture the crossing rather _ than stay among the lions. So, getting into the canoe, wo paddled off quietly. Chevia sat in tho stern, about 6in from the water, and took long, quiet strokes to avoid attracting the hippopotami. This proved to bo a mistake. The crafty crocodile, missing the usual splash which scares them away, crept up, and, seeing his opportunity, charged and caught poor Chevia, at tbe_ same time upsetting the canoe, and flinging us both into the water. When I came up I swam like one possessed for the bank, expecting every second to be grabbed _ by the legs and puled under, for this river literally swarms with crocodiles. Fortunately for me the boys at the camp heard Chevia cry out. and anticipated what had happened. They rushed to the bank with firebrands, and whether it was the flash of the fire on the bank or the indecision of the brutes that followed me I do not know, but one or the Other saved my life. Poor Chevia was never seen again. I determined to revenge his death, and sot to work to destroy crocodiles., never missing" an opportunity while on the Zambesi River. I shot over three hundred. Luckily I had a number of Chinyinga natives with me, who were passionately fond of the flesh, so that killing crocodiles served both for revengo and food. ' I discovered that one could shoot half the head off a crocodile, and if the body were within a few feet of the water tiie spasmodic working of _ his tail muscles would propel the body into the river. I had a brain wave, however, and one day. just after leaving Sena, I saw a monster sprawled out on a flat rock, and let him have a steeltipped bullet iust where tho tail joins Iha body about the hind legs. Tho brute just raised himself on h : s front legs, but his tail was paralysed, and all he could do was to snap his jaws, helpless. In a moment my boys were ashore on the rocks with hatchets, callasses, and knobkerries, bashing the brains out.

After this I always shoot crocodiles in the tail, and let the bovs finish them off.