In Crocodile Land: Wanderings in Northern Australian

In Crocodile Land is principally the story of travels by lugger through northern waters and into slimy creeks where the huge crocodiles abound. The author took part in many hunting expeditions and enlightens us on the various methods adopted for catching these fearsome creatures. The party had more than a little success, to the great glee of the blackfellows who accompanied them. We journey next into the country of the buffaloes. Here on sunlit clearings through thickets of pandanus palms the buffaloes were to be found in hundreds. The author describes the scene. “Around its green edges were big red kangaroos cropping the grass while giant jabirus and smaller cranes fished the lagoon edges, buffaloes staring at us solemnly.‘ There is plenty of risk in hunting the buffalo. A man must have a fine horse, intelligent and sure-footed: he must be a perfect shot, for there is only one sure way of killing a buffalo with the first shot-a bullet into the backbone where the hide is thin. Once the shooting starts, the horse must continue his gallop, faster than the buffaloes and alongside them, keeping them going. One stumble and the end is near for horse and rider. Western Mail, Perth 1946