plentiful in the
Congo, near the rapids, and so frequently carry off the women, who at
daylight go down to the river for water, that, while they are filling
their calabashes, one of the party is usually employed in throwing large
stones into the water outside." Here, either a calabash on a long pole
is used in drawing water, or a fence is planted. The natives eat the
crocodile, but to us the idea of tasting the musky-scented, fishy-looking
flesh carried the idea of cannibalism. Humboldt remarks, that in South
America the alligators of some rivers are more dangerous than in others.
Alligators differ from crocodiles in the fourth or canine tooth going
into a hole or socket in the upper jaw, while in the crocodile it fits
into a notch. The forefoot of the crocodile has five toes not webbed,
the hindfoot has four toes which are webbed; in the alligator the web is
altogether wanting. They are so much alike that they would no doubt
breed together.

One of the crocodiles which was shot had a piece snapped off the end of
his tail, another had lost a forefoot in fighting; we saw actual leeches
between the teeth, such as are mentioned by Herodotus, but we never
witnessed the plover picking them out. Their greater fierceness in one
part of the country than another is doubtless owing to a scarcity of
fish; in fact, Captain Tuckey says, of that part of the Congo, mentioned
above, "There are no fish here but catfish," and we found that the lake
crocodiles, living in clear water, and with plenty of fish, scarcely ever
attacked man. The Shire teems with fish of many different kinds. The
only time, as already remarked, when its crocodiles are particularly to
be dreaded, is when the river is in flood. Then the fish are driven from
their usual haunts, and no game comes down to the river to drink, water
being abundant in pools inland. Hunger now impels the crocodile to lie
in wait for the women who come to draw water, and on the Zambesi numbers
are carried off every year. The danger is not so great at other seasons;
though it is never safe to bathe, or to stoop to drink, where one cannot
see the bottom, especially in the evening. One of the Makololo ran down
in the dusk of the river; and, as he was busy tossing the water to his
mouth with his hand, in the manner peculiar to the natives, a crocodile
rose suddenly from the bottom, and caught him by the hand. The limb of a
tree was fortunately within reach, and he had presence of