¶ A declaration of the taking of this straunge Fishe, with the length & bredth. &c.

DOoing you to vn­derstande, that on thursdaye the .xvi. daye of this present month of June, in y^e yeare of our Lord God. MD. LV. ix. This straunge fishe (whych you see here picttured) was taken betweene Callis, and Douer, by sertayne English Fissher men, whych were a fyshynge for mackrell. And this straunge & merueylous Fyshe, folowynge after the scooles of Mackrell, came rushinge in to the fisher mens Netts, and brake and tore their nettes marueilouslie, in such sorte, that at the fyrst they weare muche amased ther at: and marueiled what it should bee, that kept suche a sturr with their Netts, for they were verie much harmed by it, with breking and spoyling their Netts.

And then they seing, and perceiuyng that the Netts wold not serue by reason of the greatnes of this straung Fishe, then they with such instruements, ingins, & thinges that they had: made such shift that they tooke this straung Fishe. And vppon fridaye the morowe after brought it vpp to Billynges gate in London, whyche was the .xvii. daye of June, and ther it was seene and vewid of manie which mar­ueiled much at the straungnes of it. For here hath neuer the lyke of it ben seene: and on saterdaye, being the .xviii. daye, sertayne fishe mongers in new Fishstreat, agreeid with them that caught it, for, and in consideracion of the harme, whych they receiued by spoylinge of ther Netts, and for their paines, to haue this straunge fishe. And hauinge it, did open it and flaied of the skinn, and saued it hole. And adiudging the meat of it to be good, broyled a peece and tasted of hit, and it looked whit like Veale when it was broiled, and was good & sauerie, (though sumwhat straung) in the eating, and then they sold of it that same saterdaye, to suche as would buy of the same, and they them selues did bake of it, and eate it for daintie: and for the more serteintaintie and opening of the truth, the good men of the Castle and the Kinges head in new Fish streat, did but a great deale & bakte of it, and this is moste true.

THis straunge Fishe is in length .xvii. foote, and .iii. foote broad, and in compas about the bodie .vi. foote. and proporcioned as you see here by this picture, and is round snowted, short headdid as you see, hauing .iii. ranckes of teeth on eyther iawe, maruaylous sharpe and very short .ii. eyes growing neare his snout, & as big as a horses eyes, and his hart as big as an Oxes hart, & like wyse his liuer and lightes bige as an Oxes, but all the garbidge y^t was in hys bellie besides, would haue gone in to a felt hat. Also .ix. finns, & .ii. of the sormost bee .iii. quarters of a yeard longe from the body: & a verie big one on the fore parte of his backe, as you see h [...] by this picture, blackish on the backe & a litle whitishe on the belly, a slender tayle, and had but one bone & that was a great rydge bone runninge a longe his backe, from the head vnto the tayle, and had great force in his tayle when he was in the water. Also it hath .v. gills of eache side of the head, shoing white as you see. Ther is no proper name for it that I knowe but that sertayne men of Captayne Haukinses, doth call it a Sharke. And it is to bee seene in London, at the red Lyon, in Flete streete.