A Most true and marvelous strange wonder, the like hath seldom been seen, of. XUII Monstrous fishes, taken in Suffolk, at Downam bridge, within a mile of Ipswiche. The . XI. day of October. In the year of our Lord God. M. D.LX.UIII.  
first you shall understand, that the beginners first Uenterers to take these fishes, was Nycholas Gibbins, and John Carnaby, with their men: after came john Baker, and Robert Haulley with their men, being all Sailors & Shipmen dwelling in Ipswiche, with other, besides many of the country there about, which when they hard of it, came thither to help, and see the taking of them.  
¶ Also, of these xvii fishes, there was a male, and a female, that was more huge and monstrous than the other xu For the least of these ii fishes, were xxvii foot long: and as big in the middle each of them, as iii Butts of Malmezie, and of a marvelous great strength, as it is well known to divers in Ipswich & other places, beside those men above named. For they tied one of these fishes to a boat, to bring hit to Ipswich wharf, and being so tied to the boat, swum away with the boat & all the men that wear in it, toward the sea a marvelous swift pace, for all that they could do: this was when the tide came in, for they had made provision before, when the water was loo, to tie great ropes about their tails and fins with small boats, and by such means as they could. (And as I said before) the tide coming in & the fish having water, swum away with the boat so fast toward the sea, that if there had not been rescue of other boats and such vessels as they had there, that boat and all they in it, had been lost and utterly cast away. But as God would have it, by the help of tother boats or vessels, tying the fish also. Brought him by force to a convenient place, and tied him fast to a tree with strong Cable ropes, and so using them one by one, found means to bring them to Ipswych wharf. Where they were laid with great labour and trouble, beside breaking of their wyndlace & a great Cable rope, with haling them up, they wear of such marvelous greatness, strength and weight. Some of them lay upon the wharf ii days and a night before they wear dead, and yet they struck them with Axes & other weapons to kill them. The river wherein they wear taken was coloured red, with the blood that issued from their wounds, while they wear a taking, the water being so deep that a H●y might well ride there in. There was also iii Butchers a hole day cutting out one of these fishes, and as many to carry it away with hand barrows to the town ware house, and the Butchers were fain to put on boots to stand in to cut it out, it was so deep & full of garbyge? this fish was a man's height in thickness, from the top of the back to the bone: and his bones as hard as stones, that the Butchers marred all their Axes they occupied about them. The other xu fishes were xxiiii foot long, and some of them xxi foot, and big according to their length. But the ii biggist, male and female, was xxvii foot long, and as big in the middle as iii Butts of malmsie. Having a round snout. His mouth wide, gaping above a yard broad. And had xliiii. teeth, one being weighed & waith a pound & a half, viii. inches & a half long, and above vi inches in compass about, yet none of the biggest. Also a great long tongue, a marvelous big head, & is a yard between the eyes, Upon their heads were holes, as big that a man might put in both his fists at once, out of the which they did spout a great quantity of water while they were a taking, that they had almost drowned ii boats men and all, with spouting of water: for the water would ascend upwardly from the fishes, as high as any house, and so fall down & wet all them that were within their reach most cruelly. Also they were white beneath the eyes a hand broad, their eyes black, and no bigger than the eyes of a Calf. Their backs as black as ink, so smooth & bright y● one might have seen his face on it, as in a dim Glass. Their bellies as white as milk. And upon their backs they had each of them one great black Fin growing, and sum of them were a yard and a half long, very thick, & strong, and ii great black ones underneath the fore part of his belly. Also the male, one of the ii biggest had a yard, that when it was out, was more than iii quarters of a yard long, and as big toward his body as a man's arm sleeve & all, by the elbow. His tail was iii yards long, and ii yards broad very thick & black, & wonderful strong: for ten tall men stood upon his tail, & he liftng his tail up, over threw them all. Also when he had lifted up his tail it was of such monstrous weight strength, and bigness, that when it fell the very ground would ring, and shake therewith. This fish was cut out in pieces, and given away to divers in the town that did eat of it, and was very good meat, either roasted or baked, (so much of it as was kept sweet) and the meat of them baked tasted like red Deer. And as they cut it out it was weighed by pieces, so that the very boddye of this one fish, weighed. LII. hundred the bare carckas, beside many little peecis that was given away unwaied to cravers that stood by, & besides a Cart load of garbyge that came out of his belly, so that all together was above threescore hundred and odd.  
If the men of Ipswych had known so much betime while they were sweet, as they have sense, they might have made ii C. march more of them then is now made. But now they be barrelled up to make Oil of, and will not be sold for a great piece of money.  
¶ And this you may see, the perfect and true description, of these strange fishes, wherein is to be noted, the strange and marvelous handy works of the Lord, blessed be God in all his gifts, & holy in all his works, the lords name be praised, in them, and for them, for ever and ever. So be it.  
Quod. Timothy Granger.   

Imprinted at London in Fleetstreet▪ at the sign of S. john Evangelist by Thomas Colwell.