THE PARADISE OF CROCODILES.

Northland Age, Volume 3, Issue 6, 11 September 1906, Page 2

THE PARADISE OF CROCODILES.

A volume of travel and exploration in the Malay Peninsula describes the region along the coast in the vicinity, of the Malay Straits as a veritable paradise of crocodiles. The natives do not seem to greatly care about the presence of these reptiles, and seldom take the trouble to kill them—a fact which helps to account for their enormous numbers. The destruction, of a crocodile’ is only .decided upon when all attempts to drive him from the neighbourhood of the kampong have failed. For simple ingenuity it would be hard to beat the plan usually pursued on the Kedah River. A small bamboo raft some 2ft. square is constructed, and on\it is erected a flag-post surmounted by a red flag, while from the under side of the raft or float funs 20 or 30 yards of stout line, ending in a few ' feet of chain. To this chain a barbed hook of hard brass metal is attached by 3ft. of untwisted fibre, in order that the fine ligaments may get between the crocodile's teeth, and thus prevent his snapping off the bait. On the shank of the hook a live fowl is made fast, together with" a short length of bamboo to give it flotation, and then raft, line, and bait are dropped into the river. Loudly squaks the unfortunate fowl for a few minutes ; but its sorrows are short-lived. A splash, a swirl, the bait has disappeared, and the men return to their homes, leaving a buoy to mark the progress of the floating flag. Next day or the day after, hjalf a dozen men paddle down stream until they sight the raft. Then, taking the line ashore, they haul away, and as by this time the hook is firmly entangled in the crocodile’s, intestines, he is easily despatched.