116 
NOTES. 
and that he tells the story to all strangers and others, seri¬ 
ously and in earnest. The author begs leave to say, that he 
places this story here as he heard it, and without pretending 
to say that it is true or not; he leaves it for the reader to de¬ 
cide for himself. 
I will add here, however, an extract from section 3, page 38, 
of Pontoppidan’s Natural History of Norway, which, taken 
in connection with this story, is at least curious : — 
“ The great sea-snakes I once held only for a chimera, 
but am now fully convinced that they are found in the North 
Sea, as sure as any other fish. It is said by the people who 
inhabit the coast, that they are not generated in the sea, but 
on land; and when they are grown so big that they cannot 
move about on the rocks, they then go into the sea, and after¬ 
wards attain their full growth. This last account I cannot per¬ 
suade myself to believe, for the salt water is not agreeable to 
the nature of land creatures; and the sea-snake is generated, 
without doubt, in the sea, according to the nature of fishes, 
and other creatures of the ocean. 
“ If that be, which many of the farmers hereabout declare, 
that they have seen snakes of several fathoms length, or if 
there be truth in their accounts, who, from uncertain relations, 
describe the Lind Ormen, or great snake, it is most probable that 
creature would sooner go to fresh waters, in case its body could 
not move about longer on dry land.” Again, the same author 
says, in section 7, page 202,— u It appears that they seek their 
mates at a certain time of the year, in order, as it is said, to 
couple. For this reason, it is supposed, they follow ships and 
boats at those times, which probably appear to them to be 
creatures of their own kind. If this, which I have from the 
accounts of our sea-faring people, be true, then I conclude 
they are mistaken, who suppose that the sea-snake does not 
b’reed in the sea, but on dry land, and that it lives in rocks 
and woods, till it can no longer be concealed, and then betakes 
itself to rivers, in order to get into the sea. There are some 
that pretend they have seen all this. 11 In Note 2, the reader 
will find something on this subject. It may be proper to 
state here, that the foregoing evidence might lead one to sup- 
