330 THE KRAKEN. 



of it. Now, says the Bishop, who is it that cannot 

 discover that this visible and invisible island is no- 

 thing else than the Kraken improperly placed in 

 the map by Buraeus ? Probably the creature keeps 

 himself always about that spot, and often rises about 

 the rocks and cliffs/" 



At first view this account can scarcely be re- 

 garded in any other light than that of mere fable, 

 and yet probably without much difficulty this extra- 

 ordinary Kraken may be identified with certain species 

 of Sepia, or Cuttle-fish, which have been described in 

 the Annals of Science. Mr Pennant, in his description 

 of the Eight Armed Cuttle-fish, mentions " That in 

 the Indian Seas this species has been found of such a 

 size as to measure twelve feet in breadth across the 

 central part, while each arm was fifty -four feet in 

 length, thus making it extend from point to point 

 about 120 feet. He further states that the natives 

 of the Indian Isles, when sailing in their canoes, 

 always take care to be provided with hatchets, in or- 

 der immediately to cutoff the arms of such of these 

 animals as happen to fling them over the sides of 

 the canoe, lest they should pull it under water and 

 sink it." The opinion of Dr Shaw is equally de- 

 cided regarding the occurrence of this animal. 

 " The existence of some enormously large species 

 of the Cuttle-fish tribe in the Indian Northern Seas 

 can hardly be doubted ; and though some accounts 

 may have been much exaggerated, yet there is suf- 

 ficient cause for believing that such species may 

 very far surpass all that are generally observed 



