Lateft in- 

 fiances. 



194 NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 



mentis haberi quibufdam. Nos oculatas'manus habemus, Sirenef- 

 que tales demonftramus, quales revera vifae. Nee manus aut coftse 

 fallunt, quarum icones dedimus ad ipfam naturae veritatem con- 

 fe&as." 



The lateft inftance I have learned of a Mer- man's being feen, 

 was in Denmark; and this ftands attefted fo well, that it de- 

 fences to be quoted after all the others. I fhall give it as it is 

 found in Ol. Bang's colle&ions, p. 528. and is as follows : Anno 

 1723, on the 20th of September, the burger- matter, A. BufTaeus, 

 of Elfeneur, had, by his majefty's orders, three ferrymen, inha- 

 bitants of Elfeneur, examined before the privy-councellor Frid. 

 von Gram. Their names were Peter Gunnerfen, aged 38, Nicho- 

 las Jenfen, aged 31, his brother, and Jeppe Jenfon Giflen, aged 

 29. Thefe men were examined about a Sea-monfter, which they 

 affirmed they had feen a few weeks before, and concerning which 

 their depofitions were taken upon their refpe&ive oaths^ in order 

 to corroborate their teftimony. 



It appeared, that about two months before, the aforefaid ferry- 

 men were towing a fhip juft arrived from the Baltic, and which 

 was then under full fail, when they were at a confiderable dittance 

 from land, being in the midway between Hveen and Ssedland, 

 where they could fee the church-fteeples of Landfcrone. The 

 calm weather induced them to lie by a little, and at the dittance 

 of an Englilh mile, or a quarter of a Norway mile, they obferved 

 fomething floating on the water like a dead body, which made 

 them row to it, that they might fee what it was. When they 

 came within feven or eight fathoms, it ftill appeared as at firtt, 

 for it had not ttirred, but at that inftant it funk, and came up 

 again almott immediately in the fame pkee. Upon this, out of 

 fear, they lay ftill, and then let the boat float, that they might 

 the better examine the monfter, which, by the help of the 

 current, came nearer and nearer to them. He turned his face, 

 and flared at the men, which gave them a good opportunity of 

 examining him narrowly ; he ftood in the fame place for half a 

 quarter of an hour, and was {een above the water down to his 

 breaft : at latt they grew apprehenflve of fome danger, and be- 

 gan to retire ; upon which the monfter blew up his cheeks, and 

 made a kind of a roaring noife, and then dived under the water, 

 fo that they did not fee him any more. 



In regard to his form and fhape, they fay he appeared to 

 them like an old man, ftrong limb'd, and with broad fhoulders, 

 but his arms they could not fee. His head was final! in propor- 

 tion to the body, and had fhort-curled black hair, which did 



not 



