A crocodile emerging from the Zambezi river and biting off a woman's leg. Chromolithograph, 18--.

1800-1899

1 print : lithograph, printed in colour ; image 15.1 x 22.2 cm

A frightful incident

David Livingstone, Narrative of an expedition to the Zambesi and its tributaries ; and of the discovery of the lakes Shirwa and Nyassa, 1858-1864, London: John Murray, 1865, p. 337 (" they showed humanity worthy of English sailors. A terrible scream roused them up one night, and they pushed off in a boat to the rescue. A crocodile had caught a woman, and was dragging her across a shallow sand-bank. Just as they came up to her she gave a fearful shriek: the horrid reptile had snapped off her leg at the knee. They took her on board, bandaged the limb as well as they could, and, not thinking of any better way of showing their sympathy, gave her a glass of rum, and carried her to a hut in the village. Next morning they found the bandages torn off, and the unfortunate creature left to die. 'I believe,' remarked Rowe, one of the sailors, 'her master was angry with us for saving her life, seeing as how she had lost her leg'.")

John S. Roberts, The life and explorations of David Livingstone, Augusta, Me.: E.C. Allen, 1875, p. 200 (the same event as above)

Wellcome Collection 42303i