Show SPORT 7 AFRICA As a pastime during the evenings and nights my men and I 1 fished for crocodiles with line and hook writes one who has hunted much in africa I 1 had connected the island with the right bank also by means of trees cut down on the island and the bank the trunks of the enormous trees and their intertwined tops formed a kind of river bar above and below which gathered numerous reptiles I 1 had some shark hooks with me I 1 baited them with large pieces of meat when ever I 1 had a bite from an animal I 1 gave it a long line about ISO feet 0 thin strong rope then ten to twelve of my men pulled for all they were worth and dragged the crocodile often weighing 1 pounds to the bank while the saurian was beat ing the water with its tail I 1 killed it with a shot aimed at a spot just be hind the head the dying animal emitted a sickening smell of musk I 1 often caught six or more croco alles in one night we had to be very careful to keep out of the reach of the flexible and powerful tail of the ani mal the stomachs of most of tha reptiles contained bones oi mammals and fishes and also pieces of quartz often as big as an apple swallowed to aid digestion in one animal I 1 found a vulture which I 1 had killed and thrown in to the river the crocodile hao swallowed the bird whole one day traversing one of the temporary lakes near the big swamps I 1 noticed not far ahead of me a violent commotion in the water my native companions took to their heels screaming mamba which means crocodile the two that moved in my direction the backs of which only emerged at times above the surface appeared to be crocodiles believing discretion to be the bet ter part of valor I 1 found my men who could not be made to stop until they had reached the shore I 1 soon be came convinced that the animals were not crocodiles but big snakes wading back for some distance I 1 sue ceedee in killing three pythons over twelve feet in length they had been after the eggs of the swamp birds |