Storia do Mogor 103.1

103.1

My stay at Hughli lasted two months. I observed that the waters are full of carnivorous crocodiles, which live upon the dead bodies thrown by the Hindus into the Ganges. No year passes without the crocodiles killing several living persons, who go either to bathe their bodies or to draw water. The crocodile lies in wait, and with one stroke of its tail on the person's legs knocks him down. A Portuguese was in the habit of bathing, and as a protection against the crocodiles, he had erected a palisade in the river at the place where he always took his bath, so that the crocodiles could not reach him. One day he went for his bath and began to undress; but a dog he had with him hindered his taking off his clothes. This angered the Portuguese, but still the dog would not desist from interfering with his master and keeping him out of the water. He had spied a crocodile, which, one knows not how or where, had managed to find entrance into the enclosure. The Portuguese tried his best to get rid of the dog, but the faithful creature would not allow his master to die. Therefore, growing angry, he barked as if he meant to bite the man in whose house he had been reared. The Portuguese ordered the troublesome dog to be taken away. The latter, seeing they wanted to catch him, and that if they did so he would be unable to protect his master from the crocodile, jumped into the water where the crocodile was before his master could enter.