citement of a battle. But now, Charles. I must set
you right with respect to the islands, and inform you that there are
two well known islands in the German Ocean,--the Isle of Thanet and
Sheppey Isle. I refer you to Mrs. Wilton for their description."

MRS. WILTON. "The Isle of Thanet forms the north-east angle of the
county of Kent: from north to south it is five miles, and rather
more than ten from east to west. It contains many beautiful watering
places,--Margate, Ramsgate, and Broadstairs on the sea; St.
Lawrence, Birchington, and St. Peter's, inland. The whole of the
district is in a very high state of cultivation, and remarkable for
its fertility; the first market-garden in England was planted in the
Isle of Thanet There is a little place called Fishness, not far from
Broadstairs, which derived its name from the following
circumstance:--On the 9th of July, 1574, a monstrous fish shot
himself on shore, where, for want of water, he died the next day;
before which time, his roaring was heard above a mile: his length
was twenty-two yards, the nether jaw opening twelve feet; one of his
eyes was more than a cart and six horses could draw; a man stood
upright in the place from whence his eye was taken; his tongue was
fifteen feet long; his liver two cart-loads; and a man might creep
into his nostrils.' All this, and a great deal more, is asserted by
Kilburne, in his 'Survey of Kent;' and Stowe, in his Annals, under
the same date, in addition to the above, informs us, that this
'whale of the sea' came on shore under the cliff, at six o'clock at
night, 'where, for want of water beating himself on the sands, it
died about the same hour next morning.'"

CHARLES. "The size and other particulars seem probable enough, with
the exception of the eye, which certainly must be an exaggeration;
_one_ such an eye would be large enough for any animal, were he as
monstrous as the wonderful Mammoth of antediluvian days. Do not you
think, madam, that the account is a little preposterous?"

MRS. WILTON. "I think it is very likely, my dear, because there were
so few persons to write descriptions of these wonderful creatures,
that those who undertook the task were seldom content with the bare
truth, no matter how extraordinary, but generally increased the
astonishment of their readers by almost incredible accounts, which
they were quite aware would never be contradicted. We live in a more
inquiring age, and do not so readily give credenc