N A T U I A L . H I S T O R Y * £ N O R W A Y .
they, throw o u t. to him therefore when in danger.' >The author,
juft 'cited alfo fays, that various experimehts^.confirm this Angular
phenomenon, that if day man has icaftor about him when iii-the
water, he finks inftantly to the hottom.lifcera ftone, though he
be ever fbgood a fvvimmer. For ) the'itruth oil this ihej relies upon
the Teftlmony of Thom. Bstrtholin. in Centura Jll. Hiftoi^Anatom.
Hift.-to7,:-,:|^/noiV m . Ml • |jj - ft
An eminent apothecary her6 'has-informed me, that, inftfead of
caftor, our fifhermen provide themfelves with nothing but Affti
fetida* by way of defence.againft.the hurtful Sea-animals : for if
what they carry have but at ftrsngjfinell, it has the fame effe6i
upon thofe Sea-fhakes, &e. befidea, Alfa ftetida comes at a lower
prifeethan eaftori $n
In the remote parts of Norway,C;according to feme accounts,
people have been poifbnfcd with the; excrements ,of the Sea^ferpent,
which are often feen here, efpecialjy irt Nordland, in the :Summer
months, floating on the water like a fat. flimej . This, wifeid .matter
is fuppofed by our fifhermen to be fbmewhat vomited up by them,
or elfe their fperm, I or fome other humour. I f a fifherman finds
this matter near his net, and inadvertently lets any ,o£i;it. touch
his hand, it will occafion a painful fWelling .and inflammation,,
which has often proved fo dangerous as to require an amputation
of the limb. , ; > it i h,
Mr. Peter Dafs, in hisDefcription of Nordland, is of opinion
that this Sea-fcrpent may be called- the Leviathan, or the Dragon
of the ocean: I {hall give the reader fome verfes he has publifhed
on this fixbjed;.
d <f Om Soe-Ormen veed jeg ey.nogen Befkeed,;
Jeg haver ham aldrig med .Oynene feed,
Begierer ey heller den iEre $
Dog kiender jeg mange, fom mig have fagt,
Hvis'Ord jeg og giver fandfaerdelig Magt,
Han maa ret forfserdelig v»re. -
Naar Julius gaaer i fin fyrftelig Stads,
Og Phoebus omvanker i Luftens Palkds,
Da lader fig det Dyr fornemme.
Derfiges, han er af en faadan Natur
Hvad Baad han fornemmer det fkadelig Diur,
Han tiendes efter mop fvaemme,
Umaadelig
N A T U R A L H I S T O R Y of N O R W A Y
Umaadelig fluttes hans StorlighedPog,
Det vel a f. Forfairenhed vidfes kandnok;
! Thi d^hannem kommeti Mode -"..
Fortaelle, -han Jigger i Lsengden- udftrakty: I
Som hund rede, fees var paa' Ha vet udlagt,
Som Moding paa Ageren qde.
Migtykkes han lignes maa^ehemots Magt
Samtrog Leviathan, fern^^mer^oragt
*Al Yaabed % bevendnSpidfe j
Thi Jernet erhahnem'fbm ftilker og Hor,
Og Raabpr fo^d Quiften der raadner og doer, •
, ^ Det Gud o^feefkriveii til vifle.
^hi(h»being-tranflatedJiterallv runs thus ?'
The greaUSeaTnake^s th e iu b je ^ p f my verfe j l
For tho’ mv eyes have never yet beheld him,
Nor ever fhall defire the hideous fight;
YePmanyVccopl® ofi'ifleh^*oF. truth ahliain’d,
Wh^p^' ,-iydtlf f.
Shew it to he a very rfiightfulmonftep*
* When Julias enters in his princely ftate, •
And‘tSM^turns.back in his aerial coisrfe, |
Thbn.'does this hideous monft&r firft'appear.' 1
I t s' fard that» fuch is the* pernicious nature 1
O f this dire Snake, that every boat he fees,
He firft purfues,- and then attempts tb fink.
Immenfe his fize, enormous is his bulk ;
Which by the experience, may be plainly fhown,--
Of .'.thofe that have beheld this frightful monfter.
When -on the fea helies, ft retched at his lengthy j
He feerns a hundTSg'lba^s |'" fo vafirfafe bulkf-
Methinks hefeems another Behemoth,
Or the Leviathin, who.doth defpife
All arms, as fwbrdsyand guns, and glittering fpears ,*
For; iron is to him like ftraw<or flax,
And ’copper like the twigs, that befid or break:
For thus he is defcrib’d ip facred writ.
G g
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Part II. S E C T .