The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-25

]
I OF course the sea serpent affects the
/ authors Imagination. He believes in this
monster, and has this to say about it:
| The sea serpent is no longer counted d
/ chimera. In 1866 one of them was shot by
( master Of a ship. Its head resembled
! that OF horse; the mouth was large and
| black. as were the eyes; white name
| hung from the neck il fiOated on the sur
face Of the water and held its head at least
two feet out of the sea; between the head
and neck were seven or eight folds which
we're very thick, and the length Of this
snake was more than a hundred yards.
! some say fathoms. They have a remark
able aversion to the smell Of castor. fer
winch reason ship masters provide them
selves with quantities OF that drug Egede
a very reputable author, says that on July
b. 1914, large and frightful sea monster
raised itself on high so that its head
reached above the topmast Of the ship:
that IT had long sharp snout. broad
paws, and spouted water like a whale The
body of this monster is said to be as thick
as a hogshead"
But the author has an even more amaZ-
ing story than the one about sea serpents.
lie describes sea monster that is a mile
and one-hslf in circumference He says:
i should be under great difficulty in
mentioning the Kraken or Korven. were
not its existence proved so strongly 1t
resembles a number of small islands and
sandbanks on which fishes disport them
selves. When he sinks, which he does
gradually, a dangerous swell of the sea
succeeds, and 4 kind Of whirlpool is
naturally formed in the water In 1880
young Kraken persisted among the rocks of
the parish OF AlstalOngs, and his death
was attended by such a stencil that the
channel where it died was impossible"
The author is a little skeptical about
the mermaids. whom he calls mer- women.
it is evident he believes they exist, but he
does not believe all that is said Of them.
The Norwegians, the author believes.
are 'middling class Of people" He
says: The lowest peasant is an artist
and gentleman and even a poet A Nor |
wegian Of hundred years is not &C |
counted past his labor and In 1873 four
couples were married and danced before |
his Danish majesty whose combined ages |
reached eight hundred years"
In describing the rigor OF the winters |
in L1pland the author says: In winter
it Is no unusual thing when mems lips
are frozen TO cups while attempting to
drink; spirits of wine are converted into
lee The description Of the manners and
customs of the Laplanders Is interesting
The women he says are complaisant,
,haste, often well made, and extremely
nervous. 1t frequently happens that a
Lapland woman will faint way. or even
'all into fit Of frenzy, On spark of fire
lying toward her, or an unexpected noise
During these paroXysms Of terror they
Teal about blows with the first thing that
presents itself; and. on coming to Them
elyes, are utterly ignorant Of all that has
passed. When a Laplander intends TO
marry he or his friends court her father
With brandy; when with some difficulty.
ie gains admittance to the fair one. he
Tiers her beavers tongue. or some other
atable. which she rejects before company.
ut accepts in private. Every admittance
o the fair one is purchased from the
lther by her lover with a bottle OF bran
y, and he prolOngs the courtship some
ines for three years"
"A Frenchman," the author says
in consequence OF his minglng with
males from his infancy. not only becomes
cquainted with all their customs and hu-
ors, but grows wonderfully alert in per
rming a thousand little offices which are
by other men, whose time is
)ent in making more valuable acqus
ons. He attends a lady at her toilette. I
gulates the distribution of her patches
Id advises her where 10 lay on her paint.
he visits her when she is dressed and
es the least improperly in her couture
insists on adjusting it with his own ,
,nds. II he sees a curl, or even single I
ir amiss, he produces his comb, his scis-