mentis. haberi ;quib.iifdam. 'i Nos bc©hita$i mafiuS- habferfii-us, Sirenef-
qUe:tales:demonftramus,' qtialepte^ssfi vifse. Mec'taaifesiaatfc’o t e
fallunt, quarum rdcohes dedimus' cad ipfami: naturae veritateffi con-
fe&as.” . r
. .T ie da|sftiihftance T/baveTearned of: a Me^marfs/ibgii#^ feg^j
was in D^ntnark ; and tbisftandsnatt^ftedifb'well, that it de-
ferves* tp h e quoted after all- theii others. I ffiall .give-ftias&tiois
found, in. Oil. Bang’s colle&ions, p. 5 a 8. and 'is: as: follows;: 1 Anno
1 $? 23$ bn the .doth of September, th& burger- mafter, A; Buifeus;
of Elfeneur, had, by. his majefty’s orders,’ thieederrynieh, inha-
Infants' of Elfeneur, examined before the pnv^-»conncellorrErid.
von Gram. Their .names were.PefcerGunrierfeny'aged jSjtNieho-
las Jeiifen,' aged; 3 ri> y:> His, brothen, iland .Jep pe--Jenfdn GiiTen, aged
2 9 / Thefe!men=>were ekamined abdutra^Sea-monffler,' KvhicHffiey
affirmed they had feen a-lew weeks b tfo i^ arid ebntelni^^lWliieh
their depofitions were taken upQn thleirifefpefitive paths, in order
to ebnroborkteiiheitt teflimohy.i .
, , I t appeared> that aboddtWQ’mobths' befbtteytheiafotelaM: ferrymen
wefe towing a fhip ju f t. arrived from the Baltic, and which
was then under full fedpwhen- they were at a considerable distance'“
from land, being, in the: midway. between Hvkeii; and SaedlancT,
where they could ifee the churehfffeepleS of Ldndfcrone. f The
calm weather induced them to /fie. by ia®ttley andjahtfie! diftatt«£§
of an En^lilh rmile, or ;a quaiter iof ia Norwayiihifey they dbferved
/fomething floating on the water like a dead body,irwhich made
them roW t o i ty th a t; they might fee what it .was ,:When‘ they
came within feven or eight fathoms, it ftill appeared' is* at flrftj
for it.had notiftifred, hut at that inftant it funk, and .came5'up
again almoft immediately in the fame place.. /Upon! this, - out or
fear, they My ftill, and then let fhe boat float, , that they might
the better.i 'examine; the monfter,' which, by . the; help I o f the
current, came 'nearer, and nearer to them. He’ turned^ hisi face,’
and flared at the men, which gave- them a good opportunity of
examining him narrowlppihe flood in the fame place* for half ar
quarter ..of anhour, anchwis feenlabove i the water down, tq rhis
breaft : at Eft ; they grew apprOhenfive of feme danger, and began
to retire; upon which the monfter blew up his cheeks, and
made a kind of a roafingnoife,and then dived'Under the water,
fo that they did’;pot fee him any more.
In regard to his form and Shape, they fay he appeared to
them like an ‘old man, Strong limS?d, and with broad fhoulderSj
but his arms they could not fee. • His head was fmall in proportion
to the body, and had Short-curled black hair, " which did
mot reàgh;below 'his ears; his^eyesday deep in hisihead,.and he
had a rrfèa'ger and piîMied fade, with a black- beard, th ap lodked
Ms-lf'-it^had beeiïlcut.- jH-is sk<in-waa,coaEfe,. and very Sull of hair.
■Peter Günnerfen-'related, (what .the .others did>nqt abfetve) th a t
,,this Mer;man was,-about the body.and do^njvards, quite-pointed
like -â-'Eifh. Thisifànîe Peter Gunnerfen lifceVife depofedyjthat
about tY<ktyÿg$»s h©fbr%i|asihe’was in' a boatmearKulkor, .(tH’e
plate where he was horn);’ he -law .a Mer.maidJwiih .longhair,
and large breafts. Thefe fernymeii further ,-depofed, .that-the
weather was very^fme^aiid; quitèîcalmdfeing .the Mme'. day,-;an<ï
f e r féveràl d|ys foflowing*.
That this examination Was taken in »the moft" regular, and eXa£t.
manner, attefts, Elfeneur, ut,fuprk,
H Andrew îBuflkbs;-
Whflft I am!w r l f f i^ ^ Hans Strom -informs
me, that in Befgenfund.-on Sundmoer,there haslkfo this Summer
been .feen a- Mèy-man ©f the common -fdrm: .however,! »in all
thefe accounts probably fancy Has exaggerated a fit,tie.» <■
The bfefore*men£ioned Marmaele, or, as feme „ca-Rit,
belongs alfo to.this clafs of the'Mer-maid: th,o’ I fhall not call it
the Mer-man’s.offfpring, yet .one might give;it fchiy«nan^q ]til} -i
further examined into. This .cfceature is often caught1 on hook,^
and.<is knovtri to^moft" of the fifhermen. They.:are..of diff
fereiit iizes; fome are o f the bignefs of anTofant:$f.half;.a /year
old ; others óf .one of a. year ; and others! agahi, as big! as | sbhiM of ::
three years o ld : of this daft fize there was tyie lately taken, in
Selloe-Sogn ; th e upper part was like a child, but thé reft like a
Fifh : thofe who caught ft threw it directly into the Jea. GSpnaer
times the peafants take them home; to their houfes, ,and, as the,y
fayy give them milk, which they .drink,- They gs,. that
thefe creatures then roll their eyes about ftrangely, as if itj-waj
out of curiofity, or furprife, to fee what they had not feen 'hefpre,.
Thofe that venture £Q take them dh ft hi hopes of haying
fomething foretold by them ;~Fut thfey 'do' nót' keep them above
2,4 hours, fupefftitioufly thinking thèmfelves hound to row csit
to fea, and put them down in the fame place where they .-found
them. . ; ■ ,
-7S -E e T. VI,
The Soe Ormen, th è : Sea-Snake, Serpens Marinus Magnus, T**e
called by fome in this country the Aaale-Tuft, is a wonderful and Serpent o f the
terrible Sea-monfter, which extremely deferves to b<? takfiii .noticeocean'
« f
9