30 The Complete Angler 



wonders reported and written of them, and of* trie 

 several creatures that be bred and live in them, arjd 

 those by authors of so good credit, that we need 

 not to deny them an historical faith. 



As namely of a river in Epirus that puts out any 

 lighted torch, and kindles any torch that was not 

 lighted. Some waters being drunk, cause madness, 

 some drunkenness, and some laughter to death. The 

 river Selarus in a few hours turns a rod or wand 

 to stone : and our Camden mentions the like in 

 England, and the like in Lochmere in Ireland. 

 There is also a river in Arabia, of which all the 

 sheep that drink thereof have their wool turned into 

 a vermilion colour. And one of no less credit than 

 Aristotle, tells us of a merry river, the river Elusina, 

 that dances at the noise of musick, for with musick 

 it bubbles, dances, and grows sandy, and so continues 

 till the musick ceases, but then it presently returns 

 to its wonted calmness and clearness. And Camden 

 tells us of a well near to Kirby, in Westmoreland, 

 that ebbs and flows several times every day: and 

 he tells us of a river in Surrey, it is called Mole, 

 that after it has run several miles, being opposed 

 by hills, finds or makes itself a way under ground, ' 

 and breaks out again so far off, that the inhabitants 

 thereabout boast, as the Spaniards do of their river 

 Anus, that they feed divers flocks of sheep upon 

 a bridge. And lastly, for I would not tire your 

 patience, one of no less authority than Josephus, 

 that learned Jew, tells us of a river in Judea that 

 runs swiftly all the six days of the week, arid stands 

 still and rests all their sabbath. 



But I will lay aside my discourse of rivers, and tell 

 you some things of the monsters, or fish, call them 

 what you will, that they breed and feed in them. 

 Pliny the philosopher says, in the third chapter of 

 his ninth book, that in the Indian Sea, the fish called 



