abroad, and fome of the memoran. dums touching this tranfaction probably were mislaid, I never 'till now could difcover where or how my pretty coufin was fituated. I fhall recompence the good woman for her care and fidelity, and take plea fure in bringing this affair to a happy iffue."

The lovers were now overwhelmed with transports of joy and gratitude, and every countenance was lighted up with fatisfaction. From this place to the habitation of Sir Launcelot, the bells were rung in every parish, and the corporation in their formalities congratulated him in every town through which he paffed. About five miles from Greavefbury-hall he was met by above five thousand perfons of both sexes and every age, dreffed out in their gayeft apparel, headed by Mr. Ralph Mattocks from Darnel-hill, and the rector from the knight's own parish. They were preceded by mufic of different kinds, ranged under a great variety of flags and enfigns; and the women, as well as the men, bedizened with fancyknots and marriage-favours. At the end of the avenue, a select bevy of comely virgins arrayed in white, and a feparate band of choice youths, distinguished by garlands of laurel and holly interweaved, fell into the proceffion, and fung in chorus a ruftic epithalamium compofed by the curate. At the gate they were received by the venerable houfe-keeper Mrs. Oakley, whofe features were fo brightened by the occafion, that with the first glance the made a conqueft of the heart of captain Crowe; and this connexion was improved afterwards into a legal conjunction.

Mean while the houfes of Greavesbury-hall and Darnel-hill were set open for the entertainment of all comers, and both ecchoed with the founds of feftivity. After the ceremony of giving and receiving vifits had been performed by Sir Launcelot Greaves and his lady, Mr. Clarke was honoured with the hand of the agreeable Mifs Dolly Greaves; and the captain was put in poffeffion of his paternal estate. The perfec and uninterrupted felicity of the knight and his endearing confort, diffused itself through the whole adjacent country, as far as their example and influence could extend. They were admired, esteemed, and applauded by every perfon of taste, fentiment, and benevolence; at the fame time beloved, revered, and almost adored by the common people, among whom they fuffered not the mercilefs hand of indigence or mifery to feize one fingle facrifice.

Ferret, at first, seemed to enjoy his eafy circumstances; but the novelty of this fituation foon wore off, and all his misanthropy returned. He could not bear to fee his fellowcreatures happy around him; and fignified his difguft to Sir Launcelot, declaring his intention of returning to the metropolis, where he knew there would be always food fufficient for the ravenous appetite of his fpleen. Before he departed, the knight made him partake of his bounty, though he could not make him tafte of his happiness, which foon received a confiderable addition in the birth of a fon, destined to be the heir and representative of two worthy families, whofe mutual animofity, the union of his parents had fo happily extinguished.

The

THE

HE crocodile is a cruel, voracious animal, of an amphibious nature, equally accustomed to land and water; refembling a lizard in shape, but prodigiously larger. It is an inhabitant of the great river Nile, in Egypt, and was formerly thought to be peculiar to that country; but many have been found near the Ganges, and other large rivers in India, and in Peru in South-America. It is I covered with hard fcales of a dark brown colour, which are not eafily pierced but under the belly, where the skin is tender. They appear like an antiquated piece of - armour, and resemble (says M. Thevenot) the heads of the nails in an old court-gate. It has a broad flat head, a fnout very much like a hog's, and the opening of its mouth reaches to the ears. The teeth are white, long, fharp, and somewhat crooked. It has four short thick legs, fo that the belly almoft touches the ground, and its feet are armed with claws. From the. fnout to the tail, it is commonly upwards of twenty feet long. It has been faid to grow continually till its death, but this feems not all probable; however, it is certain there have been seen several above the common fize. Mr. Norden, in his voyage to Egypt, fays, he faw fome from fifteen to fifty feet in length. Others have related, that they met with these animals in the island of Madagascar, fixty feet long. Notwithstanding its great fize, the crocodile runs very fast, but cannot turn itself eafily and this affords its prey an opportunity very often of efcaping. This animal has no tongue; to fupply the place of which, there is a fleshy substance along the lower jaw, which ferves to turn its food. The eye is pretty large, and very -quick-fighted, which is partly owing to a fort of channel at the back of it, whereby they can fee behind them as well as before. They have one very remarkable peculiarity belonging to them, and that -is, they move the upper jaw, which can -be faid of no other creatures, unless we except the parrot and the gar-fish,

The crocodiles watch for their prey in the fedge and other coverts by the fides of rivers, and fo much resemble the trunks of trees, that it is faid travellers have miftaken them for fuch, and been furprised December, 1761.

fometimes. If a man or beast stands near the river, they jump out fuddenly, and feize him with their fore claws, or beat him down with their tails, in which their ftrength chiefly confifts. They feldom go above twenty or thirty yards from the river, but lie basking in the winter on banks of fand, and in the heat of fummer, generally keep under water. They do not venture to attack men in companies, nor even a fingle perfon, unless they can do it by furprize.

It is a common opinion, that this creature cannot take a man fwimming in the water, and we should be almost perfuaded that it is true, as Mr. Norden affures us that the natives bathe every day in the Nile, and take no precautions against it; but M. Thevenot directly contradicts this, and fays, that nobody cares to swim there, for fear of being feized by them; and Mr. Moore tells us of one of the African company's flaves, who was carried away by a crocodile, as he was washing himself in the river Gambia. As it is allowed they move with the greatest ftrength and agility in the water, we know of no reafon from whence this inability fhould proceed. When they are disturbed, they don't feem much afraid, but walk away flowly, and hide themfelves gradually in the river. As to their tears and alluring cries, like thofe of a child, or perfon in diftrefs, in order to draw people near, and devour them, we fcarce need tell the reafon; it is nothing but a fiction.

We may reasonably fuppofe that the crocodile is more or lefs fierce in different countries; nothing being more common than to find creatures of the fame fpecies vary extremely in many effential properties, which proceeds from their different food, air, climate, and foil. Don Ulloa relates, in the account of his vovage to South-America, that the crocodiles in Guayaquil River, where they are exceedingly numerous, are much smaller than those of Egypt. He fays they are not very fierce there: on the contrary, they never failed to avoid a man, plunging immediately, on the approach of any one, into the water. While they lay basking on the shore, he says, they kept their enormous mouths open, till filled with infects, 4 L when

when they fuddenly closed their jaws, and fwallowed them. The fight of any veffel caused them immediately to throw themfelves into the river.

The crocodile is an oviparous creature. The female makes a large hole in the fand, near the brink of a river, and there depofits her eggs, which are very large and white. She generally lays from fifty to a hundred, continuing in the fame place till they are all depofited, which is in two or three day's time. She carefully covers them up in the fand, and the better to conceal her precious depofitum, beats the fand down hard, by rolling backwards and forwards upon the place. After this precaution, the returns to the water, till inftinct informs her, that it is time to deliver her young from their confinement; when fhe comes to the spot, followed by the male, and after tearing up the fand, breaks the eggs, but fo carefully, that fcarce a fingle one is injured, and a whole fwarm of young crocodiles are seen crawling about. The female then takes them on her neck and back, in order to remove them into the water: but a bird, very common in America, called the Gallinazo, generally eases her, in that country, of the trouble. This watchful bird, which is of the fize of a pea-hen, makes use of this opportunity to deprive her of fome; and even the male crocodile, who indeed comes for no other end, devours all he can, till the female has reached the water with the remaining few; for all thofe that either fall from her back, or do not swim, fhe herfelf eats, fo that out of fuch a formidable brood, happily not more than four or five escape.

The gallinazos are the most inveterate enemies of the crocodile, or rather extremely fond of their eggs, in finding of which they make ufe of an uncommon addrefs. Thefe birds often watch the females during the whole fummer, the feafon when they lay their eggs, the fands on the files of the river not being then covered with water. The gallinazo perches in fame tree, where it conceals itfelf among the branches, and there filently watches the female crocodile till he has laid her eggs and retires, pleased that the

has concealed them beyond difcovery. But she is no fooner under the water, than the gallinazo darts down on the repository, tears up the fand, and devours the eggs, leaving only the fhells. This banquet would indeed richly reward its long patience, did not a multitude of gallinazos join the fortunate difcoverer, and share in the spoil. Here who can help remarking the methods ufed by Providence, in diminifhing the number of these destructive creatures, not only by the gallinazos, but even by the males themselves! Indeed, neither the liver nor the neighbouring fields, would be otherwise fufficient to contain them; for, notwithstanding the ravages of these two infatiable enemies, their numbers can hardly be imagined.

Don Ulloa, ftill fpeaking of the crocodiles in South-America, further relates, that they are the great destroyers of the fish in the river, it being their general food; nor are they wanting in addrefs to fatisfy their defires; eight or ten, as it were by compact, draw up to the mouth of a river, or creek, whilft others of the fame body go a confiderable distance up the river, and chace the fish downwards, by which means none of any bigness escape them. The crocodiles being unable to eat under water, on feizing a fish raise their heads above the furface, and there devour their prey. After fatisfying their appetite, they retire to reft on the banks of the river.

When they cannot find fish to appease their hunger, they betake themselves to the meadows bordering on the river, and devour calves and goats; and, in order to be more fecure in feizing their prey, take the opportunity of the night, that they may furprize them in their fleep; and it is obferved that thofe crocodiles who have once tafted flesh become so fond of it, that they never take up with fish, but in cafes of neceffity. There have been feveral melancholy inftances of their devouring children, who, from the inattention natural to their age, have wandered from home after it is dark, and though at no great distance, these voracious animals have dared to attack them, and having one feized them with their mouth,

te