2io NATURAL HISTORY ol NORWAY. 



every day, to make a prey of the farmers cattle for his fub* 

 fiftence. Their firft attack, which was very vigorous, failed/ as 

 the hiftorian fays, and coft about twenty of them their lives ; but 

 as the reft grew more experienced by this lofs, they would not 

 rellnquifh their enterprize, being in hopes of receiving a greater 

 reward, in cafe they- fhould fucceed. They conquered it at laft, 

 by making a large net of very ftrong ropes, and watching their 

 opportunity when the creature went out in fearch of prey ; then 

 they flopped up the way it ufually took in its return, and made 

 a kind of a defile, through which it was obliged to pafs. At 

 the end of this they placed the net, and drove the monfter into 

 it. When they had thus fecured it, they carried it to the king, 

 who gave them a reward fuited to the ftrangenefs of the creature, 

 and the hazard of their enterprize. The Serpent was faved to 

 be a fight for ftrangers who vifited Ptolemy's court, and had 

 every day a large allowance of proper food. The author con- 

 cludes from this what Odoard. Dapper, and other writers of later 

 date, confirm, namely, that in /Ethiopia, and other parts of 

 Africa, there are Serpents large enough to devour not only oxen, 

 but alfo the largeft elephants, firft by twifting themfelves about 

 their legs, and after thus entangling them, they overpower them 

 with eafe. 



SECT. XL 



Kraken, or I a m n0 w come to the third and inconteftibly the largeft Sea- 

 krgeft crea- monfter in the world ; it is called Kraken, Kraxen, or, as fome 

 world." ' name it, Krabben, that word being applied by way of eminence 

 to this creature. This laft name feems indeed beft to agree with 

 the defcription of this creature, which is round, flat, and full of 

 arms, or branches. Others call it alfo Horven, or Soe-horven, 

 and fome Anker-trold. Among all the foreign writers, both 

 ancient and modern, which I have had opportunity to confult 

 on this fubje£l, not one of them feems to know much of this 

 creature, or at leaft to have a juft idea of it. What they fay 

 however of floating iflands, as they apprehended them to be, 

 (a thing improbable that they fhould exift in the wild tumultuous 

 ocean) iliall afterwards be fpoken of, and will be found appli- 

 cable without any hyperbole to this creature, when I fhall have 

 firft given fome account of it. This I fhall do according to what 

 has been related to me by my correfpondents, and what I have 

 otherwife colle&ed by an induftrious enquiry and examination 

 into every particular, concerning which I could receive intelli- 

 gence. All thisj in comparifon to the unknown nature and con- 



ftru&ion 



