Strange news from Gravesend and Greenwich. being an exact and more full relation of two miraculous and monstrous fishes first discovered in Rainham Creek, and afterwards pursued by fishermen up the river of Thames, who with harping irons and fish-spears kill'd the biggest of them at Gravesend, which after thousands of people had view'd it, they hew'd in pieces and boyl'd in cauldrons for the oyl. The other was taken and kill'd at Greenwich, which being measured, was found to be one and twenty foot in length, and sixteen foot over. And likewise a less than either of these which was in company with them, which made his escape from the fishermen, and got away to sea again. This relation being attested by many thousands of eye-witnesses, which have seen them both.

Strange News from Gravesend and Greenwich.

THat the wonders of the Deep are infinite, and that the water doth afford more various and sundry kinds of Monsters then the earth, is undeniable; In confirmation of which Posi∣tion hapned, that Upon the Eleventh of this instant Au∣gust, some Fishermen and other Watermen being at a place called Rainham Creek below Gravesend, they dis∣covered (to their admiration) three Fishes (or rather Sea Monsters) of a huge magnitnde and greatness, roll∣ing and tumbling in the water, whose huge unwe••ldy bodies did so disturb and trouble the Rives, that the Watermen were amazed to see it: whereupon they call a great m••ny more to their assistance, and with Harping irons, Fish spears, and anchors they resove to use their best endeavours to destroy them. They had not long pursued them in ••heir boats, before the least of the three made his escape, and got ou•• to Sea again. But the o∣ther two they full followed, and ever as they saw an op∣portunity, they wounded them with their fatal instru∣ments and weapons.

These Monsters of Nature, when they felt the smart of the wounds they received, they would ever and anon send forth whole flouds of water like clouds into the air, with a kind of a spouting trunk wh••ch they had, much like in form to that of an Elephants: For not to make any digression, as the Elephant is the Behemoth of the earth; so the Whale is the Leviathan in the Seas. And as the Scripture saith, Out of his nostrils goeth smoak, as out of a seething pot or cauldron. He maketh the Sea like a pot of ointment. But to return where we left; The Watermen and Fishermen still pursuing they drive them up by degrees towards Gravese••d, the Fish

still spouting forth great quantities of water into the air, as they swim along. So that it was pleasant sight to all the beholders, that saw the pursuit, especially to those that did not come within the reach of their dan∣ger.

By that time they were come to Grave••end, the big∣ger of the two (which was said to be a Whale) had re∣c••ived his mortel wound, which they haled to shore, and after they had exposed him to the view of Thousands of people, they hewed him in pieces with axes, and boyl'd him in cauldrons for his oyl, which doth amount to a good sum of money.

Thus having dispatched the one, with great eagerness they follow the chase of the other, still more and more people flocking, some to look on, and others to aid and assist them.

The concourse of people thus gathering together, as if it had been to destroy some Publick Enemy, by little and little, at the last they force him up as high as Greenwich; where with the Fluke of an Anchor they give him a large and grievous wound, which disabled him from swimming any further; then with Ropes, or Pulleys, they hoise him into a Hoy, or Lighter; when upon view they find, that it was not a young Whale, but a Grampus: However, it is a Fish of an extraor∣dinary Magnitude, as all that see it can testifie. Having laid him in the Hold of the Vessel, to the admiration of the Beholders, his wound began to purge with Bloud, Oyl, and Water, in such abundance, that they were for∣ced to throw it out by great Bucket fulls, the Bloud and Oyl still boiling fo••sh, as if it had been a Pot up∣on a very hot fire.

The news of the taking of this strange Fish at Greenwich, being nois'd all over London, caused mul∣titudes of people to resort thither to take a view, and for their own satisfaction, to be eye-witnesses of its huge proportion and greatness, they procure a Car∣penter

to take the measure of him, who found him to be one and twenty foot long, and sixteen foot over, which I think you cannot deny but it is of a vast length and bigness; yet it is certainly affirmed, that the other which was taken at Gravesend was full as big again as this.

The Citizens, and others of all sorts flocking thi∣ther, are more numerous upon the way, by ten times, then if they were going either to Fair or Market, some going, and others coming; so that it cannot chuse but make well for the Town of Greenwich, verifying the old Proverb, that it is an ill wind that blows no body profit.

There are many of the people desirous to cut pieces out of his side, which is granted to then; and it is observeable, that the Fish cuts very fat, and as white as a handkerchief: If the weather had been cool, they might a kept him expos'd to view the longer, and with∣out doubt they might have got a great deal more mo∣ney, but he being of a fat, and Oyly substance, was presently corrupt, and putrified in this hot weather.

It is conject••red by divers, both Seamen and Fisher∣men, that these three huge Fishes, being in pursuit of some less Fishes then themselves, which 'tis like they use to prey upon, as Sturgeons, Salmons, or the like: They followed them in Chase into the mouth of the River, and so could not find their way back again; but rolling and t••m••ling further and further, at last came to the place where they were discovered: And truly for my part I am of that Opinion too.

F••r it is known to be contr••ry both to Nature and Reason, that the Fishes of that magnitude and kind, should forsake the Main Ocean, and betake themselves into the fresh water 〈…〉〈…〉 rivers, whereas I may say they have not room to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 themselves.

However it be, we are certain that it is not usual for any such monstrous Creatures to come up so far into

the River of Thames; which makes many among the common sort of people to look upon with great admiration and wonder: as though such Accidents never happen but they are presently followed by the Death or Fall of some great per∣son or other: as there happened a l••ke acci∣dent with this of the coming up of a great Whale into the Thames not long before the death of that much greater Monster, the Usurper Cromwell. And though we wish this present Accident may foreshew the down••ull of all that are of the same Traiterous and Rebel••ious spirit: yet the wiser sort of men account such observations no better than Superstitious; for ••hat such accidents, and greater than this, do frequently happen, proceed∣ing from pure Natural causes.

FINIS.