REAL DRAGONS ALIVE TO-DAY!

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18467, 19 May 1928, Page 19 (Supplement)

REAL DRAGONS ALIVE TO-DAY!

AMAZING FIND IN A JUNGLE ISLAND.

THRILLING BATTLE WITH MYTHICAL MONSTERS. HIDDEN FOR CENTURIES IN LOST WORLD OF THE EAST.

THE dragon is not dead! The amazing discovery that this monster, which figured in the legends of the past and which was supposed to have disappeared off the earth ages ago, is still to be found in a mysterious island of the East Indies, where it has remained hidden for countless centuries, has just been authenticated by the investigations of a famous explorer. A year or so ago it became an established fact that there were true dragr ons still in existence. They were found o.h the little-known island of Komodo. • Not Iqng after this discoverv was made, Mr W. Douglas Burden, a naturalist and sportsman, accompanied by his wife, set out with a small expedition to secure, dead and alive, a representative series of these monsters of the Pleistocene Age. His experiences are related in his thrilling and fascinating book, illustrated with photographs, “Dragon Lizards of Komodo” (G. P. Putnam’s Sons).

The first day spent upon the island was crowded with success, for Defosse and. Dunn, two members of the expedition, found many giant lizard tracks.

The first dragon lizard seen was jetblack, huge and hoary, working his way slowly down from the mountain crags. Ilis yellow, * double-forked tongue worked incessantly, and his huge head swung ponderously. Three pigs, on observing the reptile, dashed away. Later in the dav a Malay discovered a large cave burrowed under a giant tree. It was overhung by a great -entanglement of roots. 'I his nook, or " rumah,” as the natives call it, is the dragon's home. In order to inspect this “ rumah the author parted some of the roots with his hand. Immediately it became red-hot. Tt was covered with thousands of red ants, so dauntless that they will bite into the flame of a

match until they are consumed by it. The method employed to trap the monstrous lizard was an ingenious contrivance known as the “ spring trap.” The bait used was the carcase of a boar, shot for the purpose. It was placed near a strong and pliable tree, which was bent over and fastened down with a strong rope. The release was cunningly contrived so that, when the dragon put his head through a noose to reach the bait, he received the surprise of his life by being jerked aloft. Natives then rushed out from the jungle, lassoed the infuriated brute, and lashed him to a stout pole. The largest dragon lizard caught in this fashion measured a trifle over nine feet.

The beast, in the process of gorging himself, tears off great chunks of flesh with his serrated teeth and his claws. No matter how large the piece of flesh detached, he merely lifts his head and gulps it down. One dragon lizard was seen to swallow the entire hindquarters, of a boar in one gulp - -hams, legs, hoofs, and. vertebrae. When the animal becomes excited it immediately disgorges itself. For hours at a time they' watched

the beasts as they' devoured the bait. The smaller lizards, who seemed terrified of the adults, kept a sharp lookout, and when a small lizard dashed away with lightning speed, it was an indication that one of the big dragons was approaching. Suddenly a big head would appear, with two black beady eyes, and remain motionless, while the eyes searched every' inch of the ground. When the beast was sure that all was safe, he would lower his head, flash his long yellow forked tongue into the air, and rush towards the carcase with an impression of great weight and strength. After a few days it was discovered that the loathsome reptile was stonedeaf and that his most characteristicposition was with his black, giant head well aloft, scanning the country with his deeply-sunken eyes, his hindquarters and tail on the ground, and his forelegs braced. If he desires -a better view, he sits up on his haunches, with forefeet dangling like those of a. rabbit.

To discover whether they would take to the water, five of the captured dragon lizards were released on the beach. The smallest and the biggest immediately fled to the sea. Two made lor the jungle, and the other rushed about the beach for a time, and then swarm far out in the bay'. Their movements in the water were clumsy and rather ineffective, and they swam with difficulty. One day, the expedition having penetrated the mountainous interior of Komodo, a big black dragon lizard was seen emerging from from the jungle. At the same time a fully-grown wild boar trotted out in his direction from a bamboo thicket.

The dragon immediately became motionless. and the boar trotted unsuspectingly towards him. The boar however, caught the monster’s scent and headed away. The lizard still kept watch and eventually gave chase, but the pig saw him coming and went off at full pace into the jungle. And so the ffair ended. It is obvious that insufficient animals die a natural death on Komodo to supply thousands of dragons with

food. There being no small mammals on the island, the only conclusion is that they' kill deer and wild boars for food.

Mr Burden was told that-a large dragon lizard had been caught by' some Chinese poachers. The animal was brought to a small town and chained to a tree. A horse strolled by too close, and the lizard leapt at the horse and bit a great piece out of its side. The suspense during the trapping of the- largest dragon lizard was nerveracking. The armour was black as ink, scarred and blistered. He was very wary of the trap, and inspected the carcase of the razor-back boar closely. Often his head was in the noose, but never quite far enough. Whilst waiting for the brute to begin his feast, a noise like that of many aeroplanes was heard overhead. A swarm of millions of bees was passing over the jungle. The dragon remained motionless, as though fascinated by a sound he could not hear. Then, suddenly, he put his head right through the noose to secure the bait!

The release was jerked, and the dragon found himself hoisted in the air! There was a terrific cracking noise. The dragon fell, for the tree cracked to the point of breaking. On the. ground he struggled at the rope, which had caught him about the middle. The coolies would not go near, but Defosse, the veteran hunter, stepped forward to lasso his grim antagonist. The first throw missed! Defosse re-coiled his lariat and threw again, roping the dragon about the neck. He then secured his tail, which was slashing furiously. There being no more danger, the coolies hog-tied the dragon to a pole.

Later he was thrust into a massive, specially-prepared cage and left for the night. In the morning he was gone! lie had burst through the airhole of his cage, ’snapping the stoutest wire that could be obtained in the East Indies.

The expedition returned with fourteen specimens of the dragon lizards ol Komodo—two living and twelve dead.