Page:A description of Greenland.djvu/133

Rh tion of Eye Witnees in uch a Matter. For my Part I do not at all doubt of this wonderful Generation; for though I have not beheld it with my own Eyes, yet I have met with many honet and reaonable Men in my Native Country, who have aured me, that they have found Pieces of old, rotten, driven Wood in the Sea, upon which there hang Mucles, in ome of which they aw young Birds, ome others in full Perfection and Shape. From whence I conclude, that thoe Fowls pring from no other Seed, than ome clammy and vicous Matter floating in the Sea, precipitated upon Pieces of old rotten Wood, as aforeaid; of which there is firt formed a Mucle, and then a little Worm in the Mucle Shell; from whence at lat a Bird proceeds. And although this may eem to exceed the ordinary Bounds et by Nature in the Procreation of other Birds; yet it is oberved and confeed, that the Sea produces many trange and urprizing Things, and even living Animals, which we cannot affirm to have had being from the firt Creation; but that by vertue of the primitive Bleing God gave the Sea to produce; it may yet bring forth many uncommon and wonderful Things, as for Example, many Sorts of Sea Inects, viz. Crabs and the like. And thus the Sea or Water in general may with Reaon be tiled Pater & Mater rerum, i.e. the common Parent of Things. Nature eems to delight ometimes in forming out of the Wayy Things: Thus we ee divers Inects formed out of the with their Hands. They are not o large as a Duck; nor is their Fleh o well tated, bein more trainy or oily. The leer ort Rh