330 SEA MONSTERS UNMASKED. 



Alstahoug, though the general custom of that creature is to keep 

 always several leagues from land, and therefore of course they must 

 die there. It happened that its extended long arms, or antennae, which 

 this creature seems to use like the snail, in turning about, caught hold 

 of some trees standing near the water, which might easily have been 

 torn up by the roots ; but beside this, as it was found afterwards, he 

 entangled himself in some openings or clefts in the rock, and therein 

 stuck so fast, and hung so unfortunately, that he could not work him- 

 self out, but perished and putrefied on the spot. The carcass, which 

 was a long while decaying, and filled great part of that narrow channel 

 made it almost impassable by its intolerable stench. 



" The Kraken has never been known to do any great harm, except," 

 the Author quaintly says, " they have taken away the lives of those 

 who consequently could not bring the tidings. I have heard but one 

 instance mentioned, which happened a few years ago, near Fridrich- 

 stad, in the diocess of Aggerhuus. They say that two fishermen 

 accidentally, and to their great surprise, fell into such a spot on the 

 water as has been before described, full of a thick slime almost like a 

 morass. They immediately strove to get out of this place, but they 

 had not time to turn quick enough to save themselves from one of the 

 Kraken's horns, which crushed the head of the boat, so that it was 

 with great difficulty they saved their lives on the wreck, though the 

 weather was as calm as possible ; for these monsters, like the sea- 

 snake, never appear at other times." 



Pontoppidan then reviews the stories of floating islands 

 which suddenly appear, and as suddenly vanish, commonly 

 credited, and especially mentioned by Luke Debes, in his 

 1 Description of Faroe.' 



" These islands in the boisterous ocean could not be imagined/' he 

 says, " to be of the nature of real floating islands, because they could 

 not possibly stand against the violence of the waves in the ocean, 

 which break the largest vessels, and therefore our sailors have con- 

 cluded this delusion could come from no other than the great deceiver, 

 the devil." 



This accusation, the good bishop, in his desire to be 

 strictly impartial, will not admit on such hear-say evidence, 

 but is determined to, literally, " give the devil his due;" 



