NATURAL HISTORY of NORW AY. 211 



ftruftion of the creature, is very fhort of a perfetl account, de- 

 ficient, and calculated to awake rather than fatisfy the reader's 

 curiofity. Bochart might therefore with reafon fay, Lib. 1. cap. 

 6, with Oppian. Halieut. cap. 1. In mari multa latent, i. e. In 

 the ocean many things are hidden. Amohgft the many great 

 things which are in the ocean, and concealed from our eyes, or 

 only prefented to our view for a few minutes, is the Kraken.' 

 This creature is the largefl and moft furprizing of all the animal 

 creation, and confequently well deferves fuch an account as the 

 nature of the thing, according to the Creator's wife ordinance, 

 will admit of. Such I flhall give at prefent, and perhaps much 

 greater light in this fubje8; may be referved for pofterity, accord- 

 ing to the words of the fon of Sirach, Cc Who hath feen him, that 

 he might tell us ? and who can magnify him as he is ? There are 

 yet hid greater things than thefe be, for we have feen but a 

 few of his works." Eccluf. chap, xliii. ver. 31, 32. 



SECT. XII. 



Our fifhermen unanimously affirm., and without the leafl varia- Defection. 

 tion in their accounts, that when they row out feveral miles to 

 fea, particularly in the hot Summer days, and by their Situation 

 (which they know by taking a view of certain points of land) 

 expe£fc to find 80 or 100 fathoms water, it often happens that 

 they do not find above 20 or 30, and fome times lefs. At thefe 

 places they generally find the greatefl plenty of Fifh, efpecially 

 Cod and Ling. Their lines they fay are no fooner out than they 

 may draw them up with the hooks all full of Fifh ; by this they 

 judge that the Kraken is at the bottom. They fay this creature 

 caufes thofe unnatural Shallows mentioned above, and prevents 

 their founding. Thefe the fifiiermen are always glad to find, look- 

 ing upon them as a means of their taking abundance of Fifh. 

 There are fometimes twenty boats or more got together, and 

 throwing out their lines at a moderate diflance from each other ; 

 and the only thing they then have to obferve is, whether the 

 depth continues the fame, which they know by their lines, or 

 whether it grows Shallower by their feeming to have lefs water. 

 If this lafl be the cafe, they find that the Kraken is raifing him- 

 felf nearer the furface, and then it is not time for them to flay 

 any longer; they immediately leave off fifhing, take to their oars 3 

 and get away as faft as they can. When they have reached the 

 ufual depth of the place, and find themfelves out of danger, 

 they lie upon their oars, and in a few minutes after they fee this 

 enormous monfter come up to the furface of the water ; he there 



(hows 



