The Kraken is one of the most extraordinary of these wonderful sea-monsters, and claims the peculiar privilege of the wide domain of the Norwegian waters. Fishermen usually affirm that, when they row out several miles to sea, particularly in hot summer days, they are informed by various circumstances that the kraken is at the bottom of the sea. Sometimes twenty boats get together over him, and when, from well-known indications, they perceive it is rising, they get away as fast as they can. When they find themselves out of danger, they lie upon their oars, and in a few minutes they see the monster come to the surface. He there shows himself sufficiently, though only a small part of his body appears. Its back, which appears to be a mile and a half in cirumference, looks at first like a number of small islands, surrounded with something which floats like sea-weeds; at last, several bright points or horns appear, which grow thicker the higher they rise, and sometimes they stand up as high and as large as the masts of middle-sized vessels. It seems these are the creature's arms, and it is said, if they were to lay hold of the largest man-of-war, they would pull it down to the bottom. After the monster has been a short time on the water, he begins slowly to sink again; and then the danger is as great as before, because the motion of the sinking causes such a swell and such an eddy or whirlpool that he carries everything before it. Such is the description of the fabulous kraken. Extracts from "The Water World", Union Publishing House, New York, 1884.