These
Interesting Animals Are Also Having Their Siestas, Lying Sprawling
In All Directions On The Sand, With Their Mouths Wide Open.
One
immense old lady has a family of lively young crocodiles running
over her, evidently playing like a lot of kittens.
The heavy musky
smell they give off is most repulsive, but we do not rise up and
make a row about this, because we feel hopelessly in the wrong in
intruding into these family scenes uninvited, and so apologetically
pole ourselves along rapidly, not even singing. The pace the canoe
goes down that channel would be a wonder to Henley Regatta. When
out of ear-shot I ask Pagan whether there are many gorillas,
elephants, or bush cows round here. "Plenty too much," says he; and
it occurs to me that the corn-fields are growing golden green away
in England; and soon there rises up in my mental vision a picture
that fascinated my youth in the Fliegende Blatter, representing
"Friedrich Gerstaeker auf der Reise." That gallant man is depicted
tramping on a serpent, new to M. Boulenger, while he attempts to
club, with the butt end of his gun, a most lively savage who,
accompanied by a bison, is attacking him in front. A terrific and
obviously enthusiastic crocodile is grabbing the tail of the
explorer's coat, and the explorer says "Hurrah! das gibt wieder
einen prachtigen Artikel fur Die Allgemeine Zeitung." I do not know
where in the world Gerstaeker was at the time, but I should fancy
hereabouts.
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