The Narwhal
generally called the Monoceros or Sea Unicorn, is thus shown in one
place, by Gesner; and, rough though it is, it is far more like the
Narwhal's horn than is the other, also, in his work, of a Sea Rhinoceros
or Narwhal engaged in combat with an outrageous-sized Lobster, or
Kraken, I know not which; for, as we shall presently see, the Kraken is
represented as a Crayfish or Lobster. It was the long twisted horn of
the Na
whal which did duty for ages as the horn of the fabled Unicorn, a
gift worthy to be presented by an Emperor to an Emperor.
This sketch of Gesner's, he describes as a one-horned monster with a
sharp nose, devouring a Gambarus. Olaus Magnus dismisses the Narwhal
very curtly:--"The Unicorn is a Sea Beast, having in his forehead a
very great Horn, wherewith he can penetrate, and destroy the ships in
his way, and drown multitudes of men. But divine goodnesse hath provided
for the safety of Marriners herein; for, though he be a very fierce
Creature, yet is he very slow, that such as fear his coming may fly from
him."
The earlier voyagers who really saw the Narwhal, fairly accurately
described it; as Baffin, whose name is so familiar to us by the bay
called after him:--"As for the Sea Unicorne, it being a great fish,
having a long horn or bone growing forth of his forehead or nostrill,
such as Sir Martin Frobisher, in his second voyage found one, in divers
places we saw them, which, if the horne be of any good value, no doubt
but many of them may be killed;" and Frobisher, as reported in Hakluyt,
says:--"On this west shore we found a dead fish floating, which had in
his nose a horne streight, and torquet, (twisted) of length two yards
lacking two ynches. Being broken in the top, here we might perceive it
hollow, into the which some of our sailors, putting spiders, they
presently died. I saw not the triall hereof, but it was reported unto me
of a truth; by the vertue thereof we supposed it to be the Sea
Unicorne."