lo 4 NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 



they throw out to him therefore when in danger. The author, 

 juft cited alio fays, that various experiments confirm this lingular 

 phenomenon, that if any man has caftor about him when in the 

 water, he links inftantly to the bottom like a ftone, though he 

 be ever fo good a fvvimmer. For the truth of this he relies upon 

 the Teftimony of Thorn. Bartholin, in Centur. ILHiftor. Anatom. 

 Hift. 17, p. 201. 



An eminent apothecary here has informed me, that, inftead of 

 caftor, our fifhermen provide themfelves with nothing but AfTa 

 fastida, by way of defence againft the hurtful Sea -animals : for if 

 what they carry have but a ftrong fmell, it has the fame -effecl: 

 upon thole Sea-fnakes, 6Cc. belides, Aua fsetida comes at a lower 

 price than caftor. 



In the remote parts of Norway, according to fome accounts, 

 people have been poifoned with the excrements of the Sea-ferpent, 

 which are often feen here, efpecially in Nordland, in the Summer 

 months, floating on the water like a fat llime This vilcid matter 

 is fuppoled by our fifhermen to be fomewhat vomited up by them, 

 or elle their fperm, or fome other humour. If a flfherman finds 

 this matter near his net, and inadvertently lets any of it touch 

 his hand, it will occafion a painful fwelling and inflammation, 

 which has often proved fo dangerous as to require an amputation 

 of the limb. 



Mr. Peter Dafs, in his Defcription of Nordland, is of opinion 

 that this Sea-ferpent may be called the Leviathan, or the Dragon 

 of the ocean : I fhall give the reader lome verfes he has publiihed 

 on this fubjecl:. 



" Om Soe-Ormen veed jeg ey nogen Befkeed, 

 Jeg haver ham aldrig med Oynene feed, 



Begierer ey heller den iEre ; 

 Dog kiender jeg mange, fom mig have fagt, 

 Hvis Ord jeg og giver fandfser/ielig Magt, 



Han maa ret forfserdelig v^re. 



Naar Julius gaaer i fin fyrftelig Stads f 

 Og Phoebus omvanker i Luftens Pallads, 



Da lader fig det Dyr fornemme. 

 Der figes, han er af en faadan Natur 

 Hvad Baad han fornemmer det fkadelig Diur, 



Han tiendes efter mon fvaemme. 



Umaadelig 



