ao 4 NATURAL HISTO 11Y of NORWAY. 



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

 juft cited alio lays, that various experiments confirm this Angular 

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

 water, he finks 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. II. Hiftor. Anatom. 

 Hift. 17, p. 201. 



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

 caftor, our filhermen provide themfelves with nothing but Afla 

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

 what they carry have but a ftrong finell, it has the fame effedt 

 upon thofe Sea-fiiakes, &Cq. befides, A 9a fsetida comes at a lower 

 price than caftor. 



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

 people have been poiloned 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 flime. This vifcid matter 

 is fuppofed by our fifhermen to be Ibmewhat vomited up by them, 

 or elfe their fperm, or fome other humour. If a fifherman 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 lb 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 fome verfes he has publifhed 

 on this fubjecl:. 



" Om Soe-Ormen veed jeg ey nogen Beikeed, 

 Jeg haver ham aldrig med Oynene feed, 



Begierer ey heller den JEtq ; 

 Dog kiender jeg mange, lorn mig have fagt, 

 Hvis Ord jeg og giver fandferdelig Magt, 

 i Han maa ret forfaerdelig vsere. 



Naar Julius gaaer i fin fyrftelig Stads, 

 Og Phoebus omvanker lLufter° 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 fveemme, 



Umaadelig 



