NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



Concerning certain Sea-monfters ? or ftrange and uncommon 



Sea-animals. 



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

 degree of certainty -, and we mujl fet fome reafonable bounds to our opinions 

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

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

 Sect. III. Their exipnee h fojfible, and even probable. Sect. IV. They 

 exift in fa5l y which is undeniably proved, both by the evidence of our Norve~ 

 gians and foreigners : a defer ipt ion of thefe Sea-animals. 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. VIII. 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 largefl of all animals. Sect. 



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

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



fever al obfeure phcenomena. 



SECT. I, 



T N the three preceding chapters I have treated of Fifties, and 

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

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

 and by frequently converting with feveral curious obfervers of the 

 works of nature ; exclufive of the difcoveries that 1 have myfelf 

 been able to make on ieveral occaiions. 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 Qcean # : 



fo 



* Animalium omnium in aquis viventium nomina efTe cxliv. vult Ifidorus. At 

 Hieronymus cliii. atque id ab iis affirmari, qui fcripferunt «X/suT/%a, in quibus eft 

 Oppianus Cilix, &c. Sed nullum legi ha&enus, qui in hunc practise numerum inci- 

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

 tium, & Plinii catalogum in immenfum auxerunt, qui de hoc argumento noflra aetate 

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



. — , T« %ev ovTtg de$e\ci (jlv^o-ccJo Bvyjog liov 



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

 fpecies animantium, e quibus in mari fexcentas funt, &: quadringentas in terra. Et 



Pfeudo- 



