REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [60] 
neer our house to get the Lord Lieutenants Order Printed, which he 
gave him for exposing what he hath of the fish to view, I sent, desiring 
to speak with him, and he came, having then the Picture with him of 
the Fish, and he gave me himself the full account of it, viz. 
“That in the month of October last, I think about the 15th day he 
was alone riding by the sea-side, at Dingle-I-cosh and saw a great thing 
in the Sea, which drew his eye towards it, and it came just to him; when 
he discerned the horns it began to look frightfully, he said he was some- 
times afraid to look on it, and when he durst look on it, it was the most 
splendid sight that ever he saw; The Horns were so bespangled with 
those Crowns, as he calls them; they shewed he saith like Pearls or 
precious Stones; the Horns it could move and weild about the Head as 
a Snail doth, all the ten; the two long ones it mostly bore forwards, the 
other eight mov’d too and fro every way ; When it: came to shore its 
fore parts rested on the shore, and there lay; He got help after awhile, 
and when he saw it stirred not to fright them, he got ropes and put 
them about the hinder parts, and began to draw it on shore, and saw it 
' stir’d not to hurt them, they grew bold, and went to pull with their hands 
on the Horns, but these Crowns so bit them, that they were forced to quit 
their hold; the crowns had teeth under every one of them, and had a 
power to fasten on anything that touched them; they moved the Horns 
with handspikes, and so being evening they left it on the shore, and 
came in the morning and found it dead. The two long Horns are about 
one 11 foot, the other 9; the other 8 Horns, about 6 and 8 foot long a 
peice, and as thick as a man’s arm every one of them. He hath brought 
up to Dublin but two short Horns of the Crowned ones, and the little 
Head, being not able to bring the rest the way is so long. 
“The certainty is attested by many at the place, and is no doubt a 
very certain truth, the mantle was all red on the out-side, which for the 
colour sake he kept a peice of it, it was five inches thick, and white un- 
der; when they cut the Fish it had not a drop of blood, nor scale, nor 
fin, my man took a draught of the Picture which I have here enclosed, 
he said it was as big as any horse as ever he saw, it had no leggs. , 
“Your loving friend, 
“THOMAS HOOKE.” 
“ Letter No. 3, from Thomas Clear to his son, dated Drangon, neer Clonmell, 
December 19, 1673. 
“DEAR Son: I did the.last week write to you, which I hope you 
have received, to which I refer you. This inclosed paper is a form of a 
strange and monstrous Fish, that was cast on shore in the County of 
Kerry in Ireland, about a month since by a storm, you need not doubt 
the truth of it, for I have myself seen part of it, and have one of the 
Crowns by me to produce, I refer you to the paper for a relation of it; 
remember your duty both to God and man; be carefull in both, and the 
