270 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OP 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 loth 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 iu 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." 



11 Letter No. 3, from Thomas Clear to Ms son, dated Drangon, neer Clonmell, 



December 19, 1673. 



"Dear Son: I did the last week write to you, which 1 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 



