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Carew, Richard, 1555-1620

"The Survey of Cornwall And an epistle concerning the excellencies of the English tongue"

It was taken at first, for a
forboden token, and much admired, but, soone after, notice grew,
that Glocester Shire, and other Apple Countries, haue them an
ouer-familiar harme.
In the West parts of Cornwall, during the Winter season, Swallowes
are found sitting in old deepe Tynne-workes, and holes of the sea
Cliffes: but touching their lurking places, Olaus Magnus maketh a
farre stranger report. For he saith, that in the North parts of the
world, as Summer weareth out, they clap mouth to mouth, wing to wing,
and legge in legge, and so after a sweete singing, fall downe into
certaine great lakes or pooles amongst the Canes, from whence at the
next Spring, they receiue a new resurrection; and hee addeth for
proofe hereof, that the Fishermen, who make holes in the Ice, to dip
vp such fish with their nets, as resort thither for breathing, doe
sometimes light on these Swallowes, congealed in clods, of a slymie
substance, and that carrying them home to their Stoues, the warmth
restoreth them to life and flight: this I haue seene confirmed also,
by the relation of a Venetian Ambassadour, employed in Poland, and
heard auowed by trauaylers in those parts: Wherethrough I am induced
to giue it a place of probabilitie in my mind, and of report in this
treatise.


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