FYrste you shall vnderstande , that the begynners first Uenterers to take these fishes , was Nycholas Gibbins , and Ihon Carnaby , with theyr men : after came Iohn Baker , and Robert Haulley with theyr men , being all Saylers & Shipmen dwelling in Ipswiche , with other , besydes manye of the countrey ther about , whyche when they harde of it , came thyther to helpe , and see the taking of them .

¶ Also , of these .xvii. fyshes , there was a male , and a female , that was more howge and monstrous then the other .xv. For the least of these .ii. fisshes , were .xxvii. foote longe : and as bigge in the middle eche of them , as .iii. Buttes of Malmezie , and of a marueylous great strength , as it is well known to dyuers in Ipswich & other places , beside those men aboue named . For they tyed one of these fysshes to a boat , to brynge hit to Ipswich wharfe , and being so tied to the boat , swam awaye wyth the boat & all the men that weare in it , toward the sea a maruaylous swyft pace , for all that they could do : this was when the tyde came in , for they had made prouision before , when the water was loo , to tie great roapes about theyr tayles and finnes with small boates , and by such meanes as they could . ( And as I sayd before ) the tyde commyng in & the fyshe hauinge water , swam away with the boat so fast toward the sea , that if ther had not byn rescue of other boates and such vessels as they had thear , that boat and all they in it , had ben lost and vtterlie cast away . But as God wold haue it , by the helpe of thother boates or vessels , tieng the fishe also . Brought him by force to a conuenient place , and tied him fast to a tree with strong Cable roapes , and so vsyng theym one by one , founde meanes to brynge theim to Ipswych wharfe . Wher they were layd with great labour and trouble , besyde breaking of theyr wyndlace & a great Cable roape , wyth halyng them vp , they weare of suche maruaylous greatnes , strength and wayght . Som of them laye vpon the wharfe .ii. dayes and a nyght before they weare dead , and yet they strooke them wyth Axes & other weapons to kyll them . The ryuer wherin they weare taken was coloured red , with the blood that issued from theyr woundes , whyle they weare a takyng , the water beinge so deepe that a H●y might well ryde thear in . Thear was also .iii. Butchers a hole day cutting out one of these fysshes , and as manye to carye it awaye with hand barous to the town ware house , and the Butchers were fayne to put on bootes to stand in to cut it out , it was so deepe & full of garbyge ? this fishe was a mans heyght in thicknes , from the top of the backe to the bone : and his bones as harde as stones , that the Butchers mard al theyr Axes they occupied about them . The other .xv. fisshes were .xxiiii. foote longe , and som of them .xxi. foote , and byg according to theyr length . But the .ii. biggist , male and female , was .xxvii. foote long , and as byg in the middle as .iii. Buttes of malmsie . Hauinge a round snout . His mouth wyde , gapinge aboue a yeard broad . And had xliiii . teeth , one beinge wayed & waith a pound & a halfe , viii . inches & a half long , and aboue .vi. inches in compas about , yet none of the biggest . Also a great long tung , a marueylous byg head , & is a yeard betweene the eies , Upon theyr heds were holes , as big that a man might put in both his fistes at once , out of the which they did spoute a great quantitie of water whyle they were a takinge , that they had almoste dround .ii. boates men and all , with spoutynge of water : for the water wold assende vppwarde from the fisshes , as hie as any house , and so fall doun & weet all them that were within theyr reache moste cruellie . Also they were white beneath the eyes a hand broad , theyr eies blacke , and no bigger then the eyes of a Calfe . Theyr backes as blacke as ynke , so smoth & bryght y● one myght haue seene his face on it , as in a dim Glasse . Theyr bellies as whyte as mylke . And vpon their backes they had eche of them one great blacke Fin growing , and sum of them were a yeard and a halfe long , verie thycke , & strong , and .ii. great blacke ones vnderneath the fore part of his bellye . Also the male , one of the .ii. biggest had a yerde , that when it was out , was more then .iii. quarters of a yearde long , and as byg toward his bodye as a mans arme sleeue & all , by the elboe . His tayle was .iii. yeardes long , and .ii. yerdes broad verye thycke & blacke , & wonderfull stronge : for .x. tall men stood vppon his tayle , & he liftng his tayle vp , ouer thrue theym all . Also when he had lifted vp his tayle it was of such monstrous waight strength , and bygnes , that when it fell the verye grund wold rynge , and shake therwith . Thys fyshe was cut out in peeces , and geuen away to diuers in the towne that did eate of it , and was verye good meate , eyther rosted or bakt , ( so much of it as was kept sweete ) and the meate of them bakt tasted lyke red Deere . And as they cut it out it was wayed by peeces , so that the verye boddye of this one fishe , wayed . LII . hondred the bare carckas , besyde many lytle peecis that was geuen away vnwaied to crauers that stood by , & besydes a Carte loade of garbyge that came oute of his bellye , so that all together was aboue threescore hondred and od .

If the men of Ipswych had knowne so muche betyme whyle they were sweete , as they haue sence , they might haue made .ii. C. marche more of them then is now made . But now they bee barreld vpp to make Oyle of , and will not bee sold for a great peece of monney .

¶ And this you maye see , the perfect and true discripcion , of these straunge fishes , wherin is to be noted , the straung and marueylous handye workes of the Lord , blessed be God in all his giftes , & holye in all his workes , the Lordes name bee praysed , in them , and for them , for euer and euer . So be it .