NATURAL HISTORY of NORW A Y, iff 



ftitious notion, very difadvaiitageous to the ftudy of nature : for 

 the fifhermen are perfuaded, that if they preferve them, they 

 fhall meet with ill fuccefs in their fisheries, or fome other mif- 

 fortnne. However, from the few that accidentally come to our 

 hands, tho' not fufficient for our purpofe, the learned may form 

 fome idea of the reft. Was it poffible for our fight to pene- 

 trate through the thick medium of water, as we can through 

 the air, we fhould fee wonderful objects, according to the accounts 

 given us by the divers, who are employed in recovering wrecked 

 goods. Thefe men, if one may believe them, fee ftrange forms 

 in the deep recelTes of the fea, which hardly any other eyes have 

 beheld. Were it poffible that the fea could be drained of its 

 waters, and emptied by fome extraordinary accident, what incre- 

 dible numbers, what infinite variety of uncommon and amazing 

 Sea-monfters would exhibit themfelves to our view, which are 

 now entirely unknown ! Such a fight would at once determine 

 the truth of many hypothefes concerning Sea-animals, whofe 

 exiftence is difputed, and looked upon as chimerical. I will 

 allow they may be uncertain, becaufe we have but few oppor- 

 tunities to determine this point, by fuch fure evidence as would 

 leave no room for doubt ; but at the fame time this is certain, w e are apt to 

 that as on the one fide we ought not to be too credulous, and ^ 

 believe the idle tales and improbable ftories that every fifherman 

 m failor relates, either upon the credit of one of his companions, iW 

 or from what he has feen himfelf, when embellifhed with a great 

 many additions and variations, concerning ftrange and frightful fea- 

 monfters : yet I am of opinion, that the other extreme deviates 

 as far from the truth, namely, when we will not believe things 

 ftrange and uncommon, tho', according to the unchangeable law 

 of nature, poffible ; becaufe we cannot have fo evident and clear 

 a demonftration of it as we might ; by this way of arguing, all 

 hiftoric faith would be deftroyed. One might as well doubt 

 whether there are Hottentots * ; for tho' the number of wit- 

 nelTes be much greater in that cafe, ftill that does not alter the 

 nature of the knowledge ; it only raifes it to a higher degree of 

 certainty. I premife this as undeniable ; not without caufe ; for 



gether to be depended upon, that fome peafants at Sundmoer have catched a Snake 

 lately in a net, which was three fathoms long, and had four legs : this muft fome- 

 what referable a Crocodile. The peafants ran away frightened, and left the Snake to 

 do the fame. 



believe fome- 

 times too 

 much, and 

 fometimes too 



des perfonnes qu'on ne connoit point. Une telle propofition, fi elle etoit recu, boule- 

 verferoit la Societe. Bibliofheque Britannique, T. xxii. p. 271. 



Part II. Bbb I have 



