3 88 SEA MONSTERS UNMASKED. 



Besides the head and neck, we saw seven or eight folds, or coils, of 

 this snake, which were very thick, and as far as we could guess there 

 was about a fathom distance between each fold. I related this affair 

 in a certain company, where there was a person of distinction present 

 who desired that I would communicate to him an authentic detail of 

 all that happened ; and for this reason two of my sailors, who were 

 present at the same time and place where I saw this monster, namely, 

 Nicholas Pederson Kopper, and Nicholas Nicholsen Anglewigen, 

 shall appear in court, to declare on oath the truth of every particular 

 herein set forth ; and I desire the favour of an attested copy of the 



said descriptions. 



" I remain, Sir, your obliged servant, 



" L. DE FERRY. 

 ' Bergen, 2ist February, 1751. 



" After this the before-named witnesses gave their corporal oaths, 

 and, with their finger held up according to law, witnessed and con- 

 firmed the aforesaid letter or declaration, and every particular set 

 forth therein to be strictly true. A copy of the said attestation was 

 made out for the said Procurator Reutz, and granted by the Recorder. 

 That this was transacted in our court of justice we confirm with our 

 hand and seals. Actum Bergis die et loco, ut supra. 



"A. C. DASS (Chief Advocate}. 

 " H. C. GARTNER (Recorder}." 



The figure of the sea serpent (Fig. 15) given by Pontop- 

 pidan was drawn, he tells us, under the inspection of a 

 clergyman, Mr. Hans Strom, from descriptions given of it 

 by two of his neighbours, Messrs. Reutz and Teuchsen, of 

 Herroe ; and was declared to agree in every particular 

 with that seen by Captain de Ferry, and another subse- 

 quently observed by Governor Benstrup. The supposed 

 coils of the serpent's body present exactly the appearance 

 of eight porpoises following each other in line. This is a 

 well-known habit of some of the smaller cetacea. They 

 are often met with at sea thus proceeding in close single 

 file, part only of their rotund forms being visible as they 

 raise their backs above the surface of the water to inhale 



