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188 my husband's request, which had the sharp crocodile head, we did not consider ourselves justified in coming to any definite opinion upon the question from such vague reminiscences. That it exists at the present day in the wild country to the eastward seems to be certain, as traces which proved its presence were seen by one of the latest exploring parties; but that it was very rarely to be met with we were convinced by the fact of our never procuring a specimen, though my husband offered a reward of five pounds to any person who would bring him an unmutilated skin and head. The existence, however, of so large a lizard in the district sufficiently accounted to us for the prevalence of a tradition, to which we otherwise attached no importance, of "an alligator" having once been seen in the dry sandy bed of the river at Barladong.

The reptile most dreaded where we lived was the black snake, which attains at its full growth a length of rather more than five feet, and whose bite is certain death within a few hours, if the wounded part cannot be immediately cut out. As this creature mostly haunted swampy places it was wise to be cautious in approaching any well at dusk, lest a snake should already be there, like an evil genius, to dispute possession of the water.

We learned from the sad experience of one of our neighbours to be doubly careful when approaching any water in close proximity to vines or fig-trees when the fruit was ripe. The landlord of the inn whose dogs gave me such a noisy reception on my journey to Barladong, had a spring of this secluded kind in his garden; and here, as he stood unsuspiciously one evening speculating upon his crop of grapes, two white fangs were darted at his thumb. In