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ACCOUNT OF DANISH LAPLAND BY LEEMS. 433
of Denmark and Norway formerly claimed part of this prize, until Chriflian V. of
glorious memory, moft humanely granted the whole to the people of Finmark, by a
royal edict, bearing date the r1th of Auguft 1688. Hiftory fuggefts to me, writing on
whales thrown by accident on the coaft, an extrordinary and pretty tale, yet true,
which I fhall beg leave to relate. Certain Fifhermen of Finmark fell by chance on a
dead whale floating near the fhore, which, as they were not able to get to the neareft
- coaft on account of their being few in number, one of the fociety attempting an unutfual
and memorable aét, defcended alone from the boat on the whale, tofled and almoft over-
whelmed by the waves, whilft his friends ran home to call for further afliftance.
Meantime this bold fifherman, prodigal of life, was {fitting regardlefs of danger on the
floating whale; and, left he fhould be fhaken off by the conftant beating of the waves,
into the fea, he fcooped a cavity to fix his feet in, with a knife, in the back of the beaft,
hoifting at the fame time an oar, that his returning friends might have a fignal by which
they fhould recognize their companion in the open fea. ‘The matter anfwered expec-
tation; thofe that departed now returned, and brought fafely to the fhore their com-
panion with his fpoil.
The marine dog, in Norwegian Saal/henning ; in Lapland Fakan, is feen alfo on
thefe fhores. It is not very unlike the leffer whale, nine or twelve cubits long; he
has a nofe ending in a fharp point, tufks in each jaw a finger’s length, and a long fin
on the back, reprefenting a kind of fpear placed on end. Whales have no enemies more
deftructive to them than thefe very dogs, by whofe favage and faw teeth they are often
ftruck at and killed. For no whale of whatever fize or ftrength ever exifted but muft
fall fhortly a prey to even a few of thefe dogs; and, though it fhould make for the
fhore to avoid their hoftile attacks, yet will thefe dogs not only follow but even effect,
by repeated blows of the teeth, that it fhould return and become their prey. A whale,
when befet around by the faid dogs, is faid to fet up a horrid favage noife.
A certain kind of fith is alfo found about Norway and in the fea about Finmark, known
under the name of Springere, that is, the leaping fifh ; they are of a black colour along
the back, whitening under the belly, four or five cubits long, and are feen fpringing
up from the fea with a great noife of the waves; from thefe frequent {prings or bounds
they have taken their name ; nor is it indeed unpleafant to fee many of them fporting
together in the water. ‘They are commonly to be met with at a diftance from the
fhore in the vaft ocean ; it fometimes happens, efpecially in the {pring time, that they
penetrate into the very recefles of the inner bays, where ufually they are taken with caft-
ing nets. ‘They differ from other fifh in this, that, when fhut in by the net, they not
only try to efcape by getting away, but make towards the fhore with all their {peed,
the confequence is, that they are taken with the greater eafe and certainty.*
A certain fifh or rather marine montter, called in Norwegian Brugden, is fometimes
feen alfo in this ocean, It is equal in fize to the common whale, has avery dark fkin,
and a hunch on the back with which it is faid to overturn fifhing boats. It prefents it-
felf to the view fometimes ina very calm fea, but, on the gentleft afpiration of wind, re-
gains as quick as poflible the bottom of the fea, whence, it is plain, that even the flight-
eft blaft is intolerable to it. ,
All the feas here and bays are full of the dolphin fifh, called in the Norwegian
Nifer. The manner of this fifh, which is to be met with in Denmark as well as
Norway, rolling itfelf on the furface of the fea, is too well known to all to need a mi-
* This feems the De/phinus Delphis of Linnzus, according to Gunner, in his note in this paflage.
VoL, I. 3K nute
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