35 
time and place when I saw this monster, namely Nicholas Ped¬ 
erson Kopper, and Nicholas Nicholson Anglewigen, shall appear 
in court to declare on oath the truth of every particular herein 
set forth ; and I desire the favour of an attested copy of the said 
descriptions. 
“ I remain, Sir, your obliged servant, 
(Signed) L. DE FERRY.” 
Bergen, 21 February , 1751 . 
“ After this the before named witnesses gave their corporal 
oaths, and with their finger held up according to law, witnessed and 
confirmed the aforesaid letter or declaration, and every particu¬ 
lar set forth therein, to be strictly true. A copy of the said at¬ 
testation was made out for the said Procurator Reutz, and grant¬ 
ed by the recorder. That this was transacted in our Court of 
Justice we confirm with our hands and seals.” 
“ Signed by A. C. DASS, Recorder of Bergen , 
and by Ii. C. GARDNER, First Burgher .” 
Pontoppidan then describes a monster with fins, seen by Mr. 
Egede, a Greenland missionary, and declares that it differs much 
from the Sea Snake, of which he has had the most consistent ac¬ 
counts ; he then returns to the Sea Snake and says : 
“ Though one cannot have an opportunity of taking the ex¬ 
act dimensions of this creature, yet all that have seen it are unani¬ 
mous in affirming, as far as they can judge at a distance, it ap¬ 
pears to be the length of a cable, i. e. one hundred fathoms, or 
six hundred English feet; that it lies on the surface of the wa¬ 
ter, when it is very calm, in many folds ; and that there are in 
a line with the head some small parts of the back to be seen above 
the surface of the water when it moves or bends. These at a 
distance appear like so many casks or hogsheads floating in a line 
with a considerable distance between them. Mr. Tuchsen of 
Heroe is the only person of the many correspondents, I have, 
that informs me he has observed the difference between the body 
and the tail of this creature as to thickness. It appears that this 
creature does not, like the eel or land snake, taper gradually to 
