Danger.
is faidthe fame alfor happened at the Ifland of Karmen^ Md ift
feveraf other* places. I wife that, oh fuch opportunities, feme,
io d y had examined the creature carefolly,; toslfoi^hether it had
a ilrong baGk bone, which feems necelfaty to fuppott fuch a
leflgth.
The Shark kind, which are alfo of the cartilaginous dais, and
without other hones-} .yet have a back-hone,'though that is but
very (lender, even in the largeft fpeties, which ate often twentjr
length. The Sia-fisake feems alfo 'fo* fee^like the Shtffcj
Eel, and Whale-kind, viviparous. It appears that they feek their
mates at a certain time of the year,''in order, Is itJ“B ftid^ to
couple. For this reafon it is fuppofed they ffoMtiWfhips and boats
at thofe times, which probably appear to them -to be Creatures of
their own kind. If this, which I have from the’tccbu'rits"bf ‘our
foa~farihg people, be true, then I conclude they5afe niiftaken, who
fuppofe that the Sea-fnake does not breed in the' fe&, ' but on dry
land 5 and that it lives in- rocks-andwoods, till it^cffift'ho'longdi
be concealed, and then betakes itfelf to rivers, in order to get
into the fea. There are feme that pretend they' hive feen ail
this.
In the chapter of Land-fnakes and Infers I have already ob-
fefved, that fitch a fudden tranfitfoalrom th e f r e fh to the1: fait
water feems very improbable. However, I will hotentitely difi-
believe what is related of Water-fnakes* Being feen in frefh
lakes, feme of which, in Sundfiord and Uland, are Famous for
thefe creatures \ fo that the inhabitants -of the adjacent countries
dare not venture to row acrofe them in a boat.
S E C.T. VIII.
I return again to the Sea-fnake, properly fe eai|ldj' or the
Serpent of the Ocean, and particularly to the moll interesting
inquiry concerning them, which is, Whether they do mankind
any injury? And in what manner they may hurt* the hufhaA-fpe-
dies? ; Arndt. Berhfen, in h is Account of the FertiliM-' of Denmark
and Norway, p. 308, affirms that, they do; and fays> that
the Sea-fnake, as well as the Trold-whale, often finks both men
and boats; I have not heard any account of fuch an. accident
hereabouts, that might be depended upon; but the North traders
inform me of what has frequently happened with them, namely,
that the Sea-fnake has raifed itfelf up, and thrown itfelf acrofs a
boat, and fometimes even acrofs a veflel of feme hundred tons
burthen, and by its weight has funk it down to the Bottom. One
of the aforefaia North traders, who fays that he has been near
; eaotagh
cjMugh' tb&roe, off thefe S ^ m k e ^ M i v e J k a feel theirfmooth
me, that fometkpss they:wall^ff *up their frightful
foeads^ WRfflapi alma« ,$tt of <a boa^t without, 'hurting the, reft t
^t'fcwtijnot affirayieh^fof avimth,iihucaufe teds* riot? ceriairothat
they are a F$* o fjffey. YeefhKiandlth^Whmi^^hiankMdl
!"■ be ^ ' determined,-than -that o f the Land-friakil by
the i x . v And though
they be* hid from m f & g B A
I command the.ferpeM, andihe & d « b ite fth em ;% if|^ J a[d P « wide circle
round a boat,'fo -that the mennare* fcrfounded on:all fides. This
Snake, I obfevedibefore, ^ n e rilly ; appears on the waterdn folds
or coils and the fifhermeri,.'’ fr.otrifj a' known' .cuftom h i that
cafe, w v er row towards-the o p ^ings, or thofe places wherekhe ’ ,
body is eotfe^L, b u t is, concealed under- the wateradif they; did^
the Snake: woufijratfe.' itfelf angj? antF^oveHH ifa§ boat-. -lOri the
contrary,, they:! row full agaiiift thfe higheft part that is vifible,
which makes the Snakeimmediately dm ,; .-«ft}. tfcs^othek m releafed
from their i tk r s y Thisiis -their ^method when; they cahnot
avoid-thteiftu but 3v«eft they; iebone of thefe iefeatures iat a
f t a n ^ they refr;away * with1 all their m i g h t $ h i c h f t h e y fohfef
times injure their health) 'towards* the Ihore, p t into a creek,
where it cannot follow them.
When they are far from land it would' be in vain ’tocattfemM to
rmyuwayfrom them; for thefe*cteatmes'foootithrougfr iheiwatei?'
like an arrow but of a bow, feeking conftantly' .the coldeftplacCs*.
In this cafe they p u t the former method in execution, o r. lye
upon their oars, and throw any thing that comes^to^hand at-
theim I f it'be but a feuttle, oi§ap^ light.thing, ’ 'fo;they b b
touch’d, they generally plunge into the water, or take'another
cqurfe. Of late our filhermen have found ithe way, in the Wartti
Summer months, of providing'themfelves with caft6r, which they PreftmuoBi
thgm when they go far p u t to f e i : they; Ihut
It up in a hole in- the -ftam^amL ifoaiLany timo thny am p arricn-
larly ap^rehenfive of meetijig with the Sea-fnake, they throw a
little of it over-board j , for by frequent experience they know of
a certainty, that it alwayravmps fh h d ru g -' La|ce,D^beste lls1
usr, in his Faeroa referata, p^ i6 y , thab In that country alfo they,
ufe it with the fame fuccefe, as the befe defence againft &
Whale, a Fifh that likewife often overfets boats, but which has
a great averfibil Ip,caftor Ihd Thefe
their boat; fdthaf if the Snake will purfoe them, ie
l¥iuit I00K againlt the Sun9 which its eyes will hot bear,
they