or Merman, a sea-creature frequently talked of, supposed half human and half a fish.

However naturalists may doubt of the reality of mermen or mermaids, we have testimony enough to establish it; though, how far these testimonies may be authentic, we cannot take upon us to say. In the year 1187, as Lary informs us, such a monster was fished up in the county of Suffolk, and kept by the governor for six months. It bore so near a conformity with man, that nothing seemed wanting to it but speech. One day it took the opportunity of making its escape; and, plunging into the sea, was never more heard of. Hist. de Angleterre, P. I. p. 493.

In the year 1430, after a huge tempest, which broke down the dikes in Holland, and made way for the sea into the meadows, &c., some girls of the town of Edam in West-Frieseland, going in a boat to milk their cows, perceived a mermaid embarrassed in the mud, with a very little water. They took it into their boat, and brought it with them to Edam, dressed it in women's apparel, and taught it to spin. It fed like one of them, but could never be brought to offer at speech. Some time afterwards it was brought to Haarlem, where it lived for some years, though still showing an inclination to the water. Parival relates that they had given it some notion of a Deity, and that it made its reverences very devoutly whenever it passed by a crucifix. Delices de Hollande.

In the year 1560, near the island of Manar, on the western coast of the island of Ceylon, some fishermen brought up, at one draught of a net, seven men and maids; of which, several Jesuits, and among the rest F. Hen. Henriques, and Dimas Bosquez physicians to the viceroy of Goa, were witnesses. The physician, who examined them with a great deal of care, and made dissection thereof, affirms, that all the parts both internal and external were found perfectly conformable to those of men. See the Hist. de la compagnie de Jésus, P. II. T. IV. n° 276, where the relation is given at length.

We have another account of a merman, near the great rock called Diamond, on the coast of Martinico. The persons who saw it, gave in a precise description of it before a notary. They affirmed that they saw it wipe its hand over its face, and even heard it blow its nose.

Another creature of the same species was caught in the Baltic in the year 1531, and sent as a present to Sigismund king of Poland, with whom it lived three days, and was seen by all the court. Another very young one was taken near Rocca de Sintra, as related by Damian Goes.

The king of Portugal and the grand master of the order of St James, are said to have had a suit at law to determine which party these monsters belong to.

In Pontopidan's Natural History of Norway, also, we have accounts of mermaids; but not more remarkable or any way better attested than the above.

Merns, or Kincardinshire, a county of Scotland, stretching 27 miles in length, and 20 in breadth, is bounded on the east by the German ocean, on the south by the river of North Esk, on the west by Angus, and on the north by the river Dee and Aberdeenshire. The country is pretty plain and level, fruitful in corn and pasturage, producing an infinite number of fir-trees, besides a great number of agreeable plantations; and along the sea-coasts there are many convenient creeks and harbours.—The people are Lowlanders, civil, hospitable, and industrious.—The name Merns is by some derived from that of a valiant nobleman, who, subduing the country, received it in reward from Kenneth II. Cambden supposes it to retain part of the ancient name of Vernicones. The other name is derived from Kincardin, its ancient capital, now an inconsiderable village. The stocking-trade employs the natives from the banks of the Dee to Stone-hive; from thence to the Northesk they are wholly employed in weaving.