198 NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 



tack the veflel about, in order to get nearer to it. As the Snake 

 fwam iafter than we could row, 1 took my gun, that was ready- 

 charred, and fired at it : on this he immediately plunged under 

 the water. We rowed to the place where it funk down (which 

 in the calm might be eafily obferved) and lay upon our oars 

 thinking it would come up again to the furface ; however, it did 

 not. When the Snake plunged down, the water appeared thick 

 and red ; perhaps fome of the fhot might wound it, the diftance 

 being very little. 1 he head of this Snake, which it held more 

 than two feet above the furface of the water, refembled that of 

 a horfe. It was of a greyifh colour, and the mouth was quite 

 black, and very large. It had black eyes, and a long white mane, 

 that hung down from the neck to the furface of the water/ Be- 

 fides the head and neck, we faw feven or eight folds or coils of 

 this Snake, which were very thick, and, as far as we could guefs, 

 there was about a fathom diftance between each fold. I related 

 this affair in a certain company, where there was a perfon of 

 diftin&ion prefent, who defired that I would communicate to 

 him an authentic detail of all that happened ; and for this reafon 

 two of my failors, who were prefent at the fame time and place 

 when I faw this monfler, namely, Nicholas Pederfen Kopper, and 

 Nicholas Nicholfon Anglewigen, fhall appear in court, to declare 

 on oath the truth of every particular herein fet forth * and I 

 defire the favour of an attefted copy of the faid defcriptions. 



I remain. Sir, your obliged fervant, 



Bergen, 21 February, 1751. 



L. de FERRY. 



After this the before-named witnefTes gave their corporal oaths, 

 and with their finger held up according to law, witnefTed and 

 confirmed the aforefaid letter or declaration, and every particular 

 fet forth therein, to be flri&ly true. A copy of the faid attefta- 

 tion was made out for the faid Procurator Reutz, and granted by 

 the recorder. 



That this was tranfa&ed in our court of juftice, we confirm 

 with our hands and feals." A&um Bergis, Die $c Loco, ut fupra, 



A. C. DASS. H. C. GARTNER, Sec. 



(L. S.) (L. S.) 



SECT. VII. 



Form; Governor Benftrup aflfirms, that he faw the fame creature a 



few years ago, and that he drew a sketch of the Sea-fnake, which 



I wifh 



