NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. i8j 



CHAPTER VIIL 



Concerning certain Sea-monfters, or ifrange and uncommon 



Sea-animals. 



Sect. L Some of the inhabitants of the ocean are difficult to be known with any 

 degree of certainty ; and we muji fet Jbme reafonable bounds to our opinions 

 concerning them. Sect. II. Of the Hav-Strambe and Maryge, or Mer-man 

 and Mer-maid; the accounts of which are often, but not always, fabulous. 

 Sect. III. Their exijlence is pojjible, and even probable. Sect. IV. They 

 exijl in fac7, which is undeniably proved, both by the evidence of our Norve- 

 gians and foreigners : a defcription of thefe Sea-a?iimals. Sect. V. More 

 tejlimonies, and further defcriptions of them. Sect. VI. The great Sea- 

 fnake, or Serpent of the ocean, feen on the coa/l of Norway, is not fabulous. 

 Sect. VII. The defcription of it. Sect. VIIL The danger of approaching 

 near to it. Sect. IX. Whether this creature may be looked upon as the great 

 Leviathan. Sect. X. Concerning great Snakes in other countries. Sect. 



XI. Of the Kraken, Krabben or Horven, the largefi of all animals. Sect, 



XII. Their defcription, according to the tefiimony of many eye-witnejfes. 

 Sect. XIII. Principally confirms the truth of their exijlence, and explains 



feveral obfcure phenomena. 



SECT. I. 



¥ N the three preceding chapters I have treated of Fifhes > and 

 ■* other animals found in the Norvegian feas, fo far as I have 

 been able to trace their hiftory, by an extenflve correfpondence, 

 and by frequently converfing with feveral curious obfervers of the 

 works of nature ; exclufive of the difcoveries that I have myfelf 

 been able to make on feveral occasions. I have been enabled to 

 purfue this work with fome accuracy, by the many fpecimens of 

 different Sea-animals, frefh, dry'd, or preferved in fpirits, which 

 have come to my hands. Tho' the number of thefe fpecimens 

 be very great, exceeding ioo different fpecies., yet, perhaps, 

 they are but a very fmall part of the inhabitants of the ocean * : 



fo 



* Animalium omnium in aquis viv'entium nomina effe cxliv. vult Ifidorus. At 

 Hieronymus cliii. atque id ab iis affirmari, qui fcripferunt d\ievTiX<*> m quibus eft 

 Oppianus Cilix, &c Sed nullum legi hactenus, qui in hunc prascise numerum inci- 

 dent prster Oppianum. Plinius recenfuerat clxxvi. fpecies animalium in mari viven- 

 tium, & Plinii catalogum in immenfum auxerunt, qui de hoc argumento noftra ^tate 

 fcripferunt, &c. Addo quod idem Oppianus addit, in mari multa latere. 



- — i — ! — T« xev ovris ue$£hci [tvQvjirctJo Bvyj\og hov 



Quin fi Mahumeti credimus apud Damirem, in capite de locuftis, Deus creavit mille 

 fpecies animantium, e quibus in mari fexcentfe funt, & quadringentse in terra. £t 



Pfeudo- 



