328 THE XRAKEN. 



earliest period down to the present day. We may 

 best, perhaps, give a general idea of this famous 

 animal, by abridging the account supplied by the 

 learned Pontoppidon, who remarks it is incon test- 

 ably the largest sea monster in the world : " Our 

 fishermen usually affirm," says he, " that when they 

 row out several miles to sea, particularly in hot 

 summer days, they are informed, by various cir- 

 cumstances, that the Kraken is at the bottom of the 

 sea. Sometimes twenty boats get together over 

 him ; and when, from well known indications, they 

 perceive it is rising, they get away as fast as they 

 can. When they find themselves out of danger, 

 they lie upon their oars, and in a few minutes they 

 see the monster come to the surface. He there 

 shows himself sufficiently, though only a small part 

 of his body appears. Its back, which appears to 

 be a mile and a half in circumference, looks at first 

 like a number of small islands, surrounded with 

 something which floats like sea- weeds; here and 

 there a larger rising is observed like sandy banks ; 

 at last several bright points or horns appear, which 

 grow thicker the higher they rise, and sometimes 

 they stand up as high, and as large, as the masts of 

 middle-sized vessels. It seems these are the crea- 

 ture's arms, and it is said that if they were to laj 

 hold of the largest man-of-war, they would pull it 

 down to the bottom. After the monster has been 

 a short time on the surface of the water, he begins 

 slowly to sink again ; and then the danger is as 

 great as before, because the motion of the sinking 



