THE GREAT UNKNOWN. 



two fins, on the fore part of the body nearest 

 the head, which they judged from the boiling of the 

 water on both sides of it. The visible part of the 

 body appeared to be between forty and fifty feet 

 in length, and moved in undulations like a snake. 

 The body was round and of a dark colour, and 

 seemed to be several ells (an ell=two feet) in 

 thickness. As they discerned a waving motion in 

 the water behind the animal, they concluded that 

 part of the body was concealed under water. 

 That it was one connected animal, they saw 

 plainly from its movement. When the animal 

 was about one hundred yards from the boat, they 

 noticed tolerably correctly its fore-part, which 

 ended in a sharp snout; its colossal head raised 

 itself above the water in the form of a semicircle; 

 the lower part was not visible. The colour of the 

 head was dark brown, and the skin smooth. 

 They did not notice the eyes, or any mane or 

 bristles on the throat. When the serpent came 

 about a musket-shot near, Lund fired at it, and 

 was certain the shots hit it in the head. After the 

 shot he dived, but came up immediately. He 

 raised his head like a snake preparing to dart on 

 its prey. After he had turned and got his body in 

 a straight line, which he appeared to do with 

 great difficulty, he darted like an arrow against 

 the boat. They reached the shore, and the ani- 

 mal, perceiving it had come in shallow water, 

 dived immediately, and disappeared in the deep. 



''Such is the declaration of these four men, and 

 no one has any cause to doubt their veracity, or 

 imagine that they were so seized with fear, that 

 they could not observe what took place so near 

 them. There are not many here, or on other parts 

 of the Norwegian coast, who longer doubt the 

 existence of the sea-serpent. The writer of this 

 285 



