“If you had the opportunity, my son,” said Mr. Wilton, “I fear that, like many others, you would be unable to resist the temptation to show your authority over the vanquished; for great and wise men have often found themselves unequal to the task of schooling their hearts, to listen to the dictates of humanity, when surrounded by the turmoil and excitement 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 credence to all we hear, without ascertaining the probabilities of such descriptions; and exaggerated accounts are now merely regarded as ‘travellers’ wonders,’ and only partially believed.