His Mouth is very wide, and is extended to the Ears; his Snout and Eyes like those of Swine; the Teeth, which are ingrail’d, are white, acute, strong and numerous; the Feet arm’d with sharp Claws; the Skin of the Belly is tender and may be easily penetrated, but the other parts of the Body are not penetrable by Swords and Arrows: It defies even the Wheels of a loaded Cart, as well as Darts and Spears: It is of a yellow Colour, say some; but Wormius in Mr. Ray’s Synopsis says, that those he had seen, were inclin’d to the grey or ash Colour.
The Tail is near as long as the Body, upon which are Fins of a Fish, whereby he is capacitated to swim. When he strikes with his Claws, he tears with his Teeth, and grinds the very Bones of what he kills into Powder. In Winter he lives much without Food, but in Summer, his Sustenance is of the animal kind, but is most fond of human Flesh; and as he is an amphibious Creature, plunders both Elements[[247]].
[247]. Jonstonus, 141.
The Crocodile, when prest with Hunger, swallows Stones, which have been found worn round about, and the wasted parts reduced to such minute Particles, as were fit to circulate with the Mass of Blood[[248]].
[248]. Nierembergius.
In Egypt the Crocodile is made the Object of religious Adoration, but not by all the Nation; for the Inhabitants of Tentyra (an Island form’d by the River Nilus) were so far from worshipping that hateful Monster, that they despised it, and often brought them to the Roman Shews for Diversion.——This Aversion to Crocodiles caused a War between the Tentyrians and the other Egyptians, who worship’d those Creatures; of which People Job seems to speak in the following Words: Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their Mourning, Job iii. 8. Some read it, to raise up the Leviathan, or to awake the Crocodile; of which Job gives an admirable Description, under the Name of Leviathan, Job xli. 1, 2, 3, 4.... So the Psalmist, Thou breakest the Heads of Leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be Meat to the People inhabiting the Wilderness.
When I think of the superstitious Egyptians warring against the People of Tentyra, I can’t but observe how the same kind of Spirit (the more the pity) too often reigns among Christians: Those who have ridicul’d Superstition, and endeavour’d to propagate Truth, have always had Vengeance and Wrath breath’d out against them, and have been exposed to the same Fate as the Tentyrians.
The Habitations of Crocodiles are generally in great Rivers, as the Ganges in Asia, one of the greatest Rivers in the World, and which is accounted sacred: Its Water is clear and sweet, weighs an Ounce in a Pint lighter than any other Water in the Country: The Great Mogul’s Court drink none else with their Wine. These monstrous Animals are also found in the Nile and Niger, two of the greatest Rivers in Africa; and also in the great Rivers of America, especially those of the Amazons, which abound with Crocodiles of vast Bigness, that very much annoy the Inhabitants.
GEMELLI in the Atlas, says the Crocodile is hatch’d of an Egg no bigger than that of a Turkey, but grows to thirty Foot long, the Back arm’d with impenetrable Scales, the Mouth wide enough to swallow an Heifer, and only moves the upper Jaw; it sees better by Water than Land, is cowardly, and generally flies from those that attack it, but daring enough otherwise; for which reason the Egyptians made it the Hieroglyphick of Impudence.—They have no Tongue, and eat nothing in all the autumnal Quarter[[249]].
[249]. For Africa, p. 47.