NATURAL HISTORY o{ NOR TT A T. * J§ 



is dry'd, and fold by the name of Sunde-Maver. It is eaten by 

 fome people, and is reckoned to create an appetite, agreeable to 

 its name. 



The Tunge the Saal, Solea, an agreeable Fifh of the Flounder T un g , 

 kind, ior which reafon, not to repeat the defcription, I fliall only 

 obferve, that the principal difference confifts in its being better 

 tafted, and having firmer fleOi, Tungerne are in fhape rather 

 long than round, refembling the fole of the foot; and are caught 

 here in many places, but not in any great number* 



SECT. VIII. 



Valrus, or Rofmul and in our old Norvegian, Roftungus, Vai ru , 

 Rofmarus, the Wallrufs* or Sea-Horfe, is feen fometimes on This 

 coaft, but not fo frequently as about Iceland or Spitsberg where 

 according to Marten's Spitsberg Travels, chap. iv. they are found 

 in incredible numbers, feveral thoufands being often feen toge- 

 ther % Their body and head are like thofe of a large cow • 

 they have fhort hair on the skin like the Sea-Calf ; but what is 

 mofl remarkable, is their two large teeth, or tusks, which pro- 

 ved out of their mouth, and are full 1 8 inches long ; thefe are 

 as good as ivory for any kind of turn'd work; and therefore 

 this creature is called by fome the Sea-Elephant. With thefe 

 teeth it is faid they bite, or occafionally fatten themfelves to a 

 rock while they fleep • and they ufe them alfo to dig in the 

 fand for mufcles, which are their principal food. 



They are faid to lift their heavy bodies upon the flakes of ice 

 and rocks, by the help of thefe teeth; where they are found 

 like the Sea-Calves. The anonymous author, whofe account of 

 the Whale-fifhery is prefixed to Peyrerii's Defcription of Iceland 

 relates, p. 114, what he fays he had been an eye-witnefs of 

 namely, that where they are killing one of thefe creatures, feveral 

 more of the fame kind will come to their afliflanee; which they 

 frequently do, and with their large teeth before-mentioned, make 

 a violent attack on any thing that oppofes them. Olig Jacob 

 informs us, in his Muf. Reg. p. 15, that the Wallrufs's fiercefi 

 battles are with the great White Bear ; from which we may con- 

 clude, that, like amphibious creatures, they fometimes feek the 

 dry land, or the mountains of ice that abound in thofe feas. 

 Anderfon, in his Defcription of Iceland, p. 22,2, fays, that they 



* A quite different Sea-Horfe fome of our fifhermen pretend they have ken fome- 



Zne S T ^n^ ^ t0 h l 2 ° ° r 24 feeC Ion S' with ** head, necked 

 mane, which it generally holds above the water, exaclly like thofe of a real horfe 

 and not to be : difhnguifhed, but by the fize i its colour, they fay, is as white as &ow 

 but of this there is no confirmation, ' OW} 



have 



