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probably arises from the inconvenience resulting from the waves at the surface, and the strong power which a swell would exert upon a body of such great length and comparative slenderness. According to Pontoppidan, a great Sea-Snake was seen at Amunds Vaagen, in Nordfiord, a few years be fore he wrote. It came in between the rocks, probably at high water, and died there, and its carcase tainted the neighbouring air for a long time. A similar animal was seen in the island of Karmen, where it perished; and several more are recorded as having occurred in other places. The SeaSnake, it is said, possesses a very quick scent, and has been observed to fly from the smell of castor. On this account, the Norwegian fishermen, during the warm summer months, when it is most likely to shew itself, are frequently provided with this substance when they go to sea; and when they apprehend the near approach of one of these monsters, they sprinkle a little on all sides overboard. The same device is said by Debes to be resorted to by the boatmen around the Feroe Isles, as a protection against the Trold-Whale, a mischievous species, which likewise dreads the shavings of juniper-wood.

Many curious anec dotes, concerning the power of castor, may be found in the writings of Thomas Bartholinus.

The Bishop of Bergen mentions, that he has been informed by the northern traders, that the sea-snake sometimes throws itself across a boat in such a manner as to sink it by its weight. One person, in particular, informed him, that he has been near enough to some of these animals to feel their smooth skin; and he added, that sometimes they will raise up their frightful heads, and snap a man out of a boat, without hurting the rest; "but this," says the bishop, "I will not affirm for a truth, because it is not certain that they are a fish of prey.' Perhaps this animal may be alluded to by the prophet Amos: "And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the ser

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pent, and he shall bite them."-Chap.

ix. v. 3. Its motion is said to be exceedingly rapid, and is compared by one Norwegian poet to the flight of an

arrow from a bow. When perceived by the fishermen, they generally row away in the direction of the sun, which favours their escape, as the creature cannot perceive them when its head is turned towards that luminary.

"It is said, that they sometimes fling themselves in a wide circle round a boat, so

that the men are surrounded on all sides. This snake, I observed before, generally appears on the water in folds or coils; and the fishermen, from a known custom in that case, never row towards the openings, or those places where the body is not seen, but is concealed under the water; if they did, the snake would raise itself up, and overset the boat. On the contrary, they row full against the highest part that is visible, which makes the snake immediately dive; and thus they are released from their fears. This is their method when they cannot avoid them; but when they see one of these creatures at a distance, they row away with all their might (by which they sometimes injure their health) towards the shore, or into creek where it cannot follow them."*

When they are overtaken, without being provided with any castor, their only resource is to throw a scuttle or any light thing at it, which frequently has the effect of making it dive and take another course.

We come now to the more modern instances of the occurrence of this singular animal. The following letter from the Rev. Mr Maclean of Small Isles to the Secretary of the Wernerian Natural History Society, will be deemed sufficient to dispel the doubts of those who feel less inclined than ourselves, to place some degree of confidence in the accounts of the earlier writers.

"Eigg Island, 24th April 1809. "SIR,Your letter of the 1st instant I

received, and would have written in answer thereto sooner, had I not thought it desirable to examine others relative to the ani mal of which you wish me to give a parti

cular account.

"According to my best recollection, I saw it in June 1808, not on the coast of

Eigg, but on that of Coll. Rowing along that coast, I observed, at about the distance of half a mile, an object to windward, which gradually excited astonishment. At first view, it appeared like a small rock. Knowing there was no rock in that situation, I fixed my eyes on it close. Then I saw it elevated considerably above the level of the sea, and, after a slow movement, distinctly perceived one of its eyes. Alarmed at the

unusual appearance and magnitude of the

animal, I steered so as to be at no great

*Nat. Hist, of Norway, vol. ii, p. 203.

distance from the shore. When nearly in a line betwixt it and the shore, the monster, directing its head (which still continued above water) towards us, plunged violently under water. Certain that he was in chace of us, we plied hard to get ashore. Just as we leaped out on a rock, taking a station as high as we conveniently could, we saw it coming rapidly under water towards the stern of our boat. When within a few yards of the boat, finding the water shallow, it raised its monstrous head above water, and, by a winding course, got, with apparent difficulty, clear of the creek where our boat lay, and where the monster seemed in dan ger of being imbayed. It continued to move off, with its head above water, and with the wind, for about half a mile, before we lost sight of it. Its head was rather broad, of a form somewhat oval. Its neck somewhat smaller. Its shoulders, if I can so term them, considerably broader, and thence it tapered towards the tail, which last it kept pretty low in the water, so that a view of it could not be taken so distinctly as I wished. It had no fin that I could perceive, and seemed to me to move progressively by undulation up and down. length I believed to be from 70 to 80 feet. When nearest to me, it did not raise its head wholly above water, so that the neck being under water, I could perceive no shining filaments thereon, if it had any. progressive motion under water I took to be rapid, from the shortness of the time it took to come up to the boat. When the head was above water, its motion was not near so quick; and when the head was most elevated, it appeared evidently to take a view of distant objects.

Its

Its

"About the time I saw it, it was seen about the island of Canna. The crews of thirteen fishing-boats, I am told, were so much terrified at its appearance, that they

in a body fled from it to the nearest creek for safety. On the passage from Rum to Canna, the crew of one boat saw it coming towards them with the wind, and its head high above water. One of the crew pronounced its head as large as a little boat, and each of its eyes as large as a plate. The men were much terrified, but the monster offered them no molestation. From those

of the tail. These bristles, while moist, were luminous in the dark; and it was provided with fins or swimming paws, which measured four feet and a half in length, and in shape resembled the wing of a goose without feathers.* This monster was seen and examined by many individuals, who all agree in regard to its great size and general appearance. It remained entire for some time, but separated before any correct drawing or detailed description could be obtained.t

We shall conclude this investigation by presenting our readers with an account of the latest, and one of the most satisfactory instances of the appearance of the Great Sea Serpent, off the American coast. This we are fortunately enabled to do, by means of a very judicious report published by a committee appointed by the Linnæan Society of New England, to collect all the evidence which could be obtained on the subject.

In the month of August 1817, it was generally reported, that a very singular animal, of prodigious size, had been frequently seen in the harbour of Gloucester, Cape Ann, about thirty miles from Boston. In general appearance it resembled a serpent, and was said to move with astonishing rapidity. It was visible only in calm and bright weather, and floated on the surface of the water like a number of buoys or casks following each other in a line. Such was the general description given of this animal, betwixt which, and the accounts by the Norwegians, our readers will not fail to observe a striking coincidence.

In the report to which we have referred, the affidavits of a great many people of unblemished character are collected concerning it, which leaves no room to apprehend any thing like

who saw it, I could get no interesting parti- deceit. These statements, as might

culars additional to those above mentioned. I remain, Sir, &c.

(Signed) DONALD MACLEAN."

A few months after the appearance of this animal off the Island of Coll, the dead body of a monstrous Sea-Snake was found driven on shore on Stronsa, one of the Orkney Isles. It measured fifty-five feet in length, and about ten feet in circumference, and was furnished with a kind of mane or ridge of bristles, which extended from the shoulder to within two feet and a half

*In this character it agrees with the Great Sea Snake seen by Egede the missionary.

The accounts of this singular creature are contained in the affidavits made before the Justices of the Peace for the county, by men of character and respectability. For several interesting particulars concerning its anatomical structure, we refer the reader to Dr Barclay's paper on the subject, published in the first volume of the Wernerian Society's Memoirs. Sir Everard Home seemed to consider the Orkney animal as a Squalus maximus, but this opinion is generally regarded as erroneous.

naturally be anticipated, do not agree in every minute particular, as the appearance of the animal would necessarily assume various aspects, according to its position, the extent of its body visible at one time, and the rapidity of its motion; but in regard to its great size and snake-like form they all agree.

The person who makes the first deposition saw it for nearly half an hour, at a distance of 250 yards when nearest. At that distance he could not take in the two extremes with his glass at one view. He saw eight different portions or bunches, which he considers as caused by the vertical motion of the animal. The size is not specified. The second witness depones, that on the 10th day of August he observed a strange marine animal, which he believed to be a serpent. It continued in sight for an hour and a half, and moved through the water with great rapidity-at the rate of a mile in two, or at most three, minutes. He observed the same animal on the 23d of the same month. It then lay perfectly still, extended on the water, and shewed about fifty feet of its body. Colour dark brown. The third witness saw it in the same place, and judged it to be between eighty and ninety feet in length, with a head formed somewhat like that of a rattlesnake, but nearly as large as that of a horse. At one time it shewed about fifty distinct portions of its body, and appeared rough and scaly. He saw him on three different days, and on the 13th of August it was visible almost the whole day. When it moved on the surface of the water, its motion was slow, at times playing about in circles, and sometimes moving nearly straight forward. The fourth witness saw it on the 14th August, when it shewed about forty feet. When looking at it through a glass, he saw it open its mouth, which appeared like the mouth of a serpent. The fifth and sixth witnesses also saw it on that day, when the latter was within a distance of thirty feet. He fired his gun, loaded with ball, at its head, and thought he must have hit it, as he took good aim. When he had fired, the monster immediately turned round, as if it intended coming towards him, but it sunk down, and going directly under the boat, made its appearance again, at about a hundred yards from

the place where it had disappeared. It did not seem more shy in consequence of the shot, but continued playing on the water as before. The seventh witness observed it on the 17th day of the month, extended on the water to the length of from forty to sixty feet, with its head raised about a foot above the surface. It remained still for some time, and then started off with great velocity. Colour very dark. The eighth witness saw it on the evening of the same day; he came within two oars length of it, but there was not sufficient light to enable him to give any description. In length it was at least fifty feet, and appeared straight. The ninth witness observed it the next day, while in a sail boat, coming out of a cave, and immediately hove to. It passed under the stern of the boat, and then turning towards him again, it crossed by the boat's bow. He saw it fired at, and thought it was hit, as it afterwards appeared more shy. The length was considered to be about seventy feet. The form of the curve, when it turned in the water, resembled a staple; the head seemed to approach towards the body for some feet, then the head and tail appeared moving rapidly in opposite directions, and when these were on parallel lines, they appeared not more than two or three yards apart. The last deposition contained in the American Report, being one of the most detailed and particular, we shall quote it at full length.

"I, Elkanah Finney of Plymouth, in the county of Plymouth, mariner, testify and say That about the 20th of June A. D. 1815, being at work near my house, which is situated near the sea-shore in Plymouth, at a place called Warren's Cove, where the beach joins the main land; my son, a boy, came from the shore, and informed me of an unusual appearance on the surface of the sea in the cove. I paid little attention to his story at first; but as he persisted in saying that he had seen something very remarkable, I looked towards the cove, where I saw something which appeared to the naked eye to be drift sea-weed. I then viewed it through a perspective glass, and was in a moment satisfied that it was some aquatic animal, with the form, motion, and appearance of which I had hitherto been unacquainted. It was about a quarter of a mile from the shore, and was moving with great rapidity to the northward. It then appeared to be about thirty feet in length; the animal went about half a mile to the northward; then turned about, and while

turning, displayed a greater length than I had before seen; I supposed at least an hundred feet. It then came towards me, in a southerly direction, very rapidly, until he was in a line with me, when he stopped, and lay entirely still on the surface of the water. I then had a good view of him through my glass, at the distance of a quarter of a mile. His appearance in this situation was like a string of buoys. I saw perhaps thirty or forty of these protuberances or bunches, which were about the size of a barrel. The head appeared to be about six or eight feet long, and where it was connected with the body was a little larger than the body. His head tapered off to the size of a horse's head. I could not discern any mouth. But what I supposed to be his under jaw had a white stripe extending the whole length of the head, just above the water. While he lay in this situation, he appeared to be about a hundred or a hundred and twenty feet long. The body appeared to be of a uniform size. I saw no part of the animal which I supposed to be a tail. I therefore thought he did not discover to me his whole length. His colour was a deep brown or black. I could not discover any eyes, mane, gills, or breathing holes. I did not see any fins or legs. The animal did not utter any sound, and it did not appear to notice any thing. It remain ed still and motionless for five minutes or more. The wind was light, with a clear sky, and the water quite smooth. He then moved to the southward; but not with so rapid a motion as I had observed before. He was soon out of my sight. The next morning I rose very early to discover him. There was a fresh breeze from the south, which subsided about eight o'clock. It then became quite calm, when I again saw the animal about a mile to the northward of my house, down the beach. He did not display so great a length as the night be fore, perhaps not more than twenty or thirty feet. He often disappeared, and was gone five or ten minutes under water. thought he was diving or fishing for his food. He remained in nearly the same situation, and thus employed, for two hours. I then saw him moving off, in a north-east direction, towards the light-house. I could not determine whether its motion was up and down, or to the right and left. His quickest motion was very rapid; I should suppose at the rate of fifteen or twenty miles an hour. Mackerel, manhaden, herring, and other bait fish, abound in the cove, where the animal was seen.

(Signed) ELKANAH FINNEY." There are several other affidavits equally satisfactory in regard to the occurrence of this extraordinary creature, with the whole of which, however, we do not consider it necessary that we should trouble our readers. What we have already written must

I

be amply sufficient to dispel the doubts even of the most sceptical, and the satisfactory manner in which the opinions of Pontoppidan, and the writers who preceded him, have been thus confirmed, should render us extremely cautious in considering such opinions as vague and hypothetical, merely because they do not accord with the measure of our own experience.

We shall conclude our quotation on this subject by the following extracts. the Honourable Lonson Nash, one of The first is from a letter written by the committee appointed by the Linnæan Society of New England; the other from a communication by the Rev. William Jenks, addressed to Judge Davis, the president of the Society.

"I have seen and conversed with the woman, who was said to have seen the serpent dormant on the rocks, near the water, to whom you refer in yours; but she can give no material evidence. She says that she saw something, resembling a large log of wood, on the rocks, on the extreme eastern point of Ten Pound island (a small island in our harbour), resting partly on the rocks, and partly in the water. The distance was about half a mile. She took a glass, looked at the object, and saw it move. Her attention was for a short time arrested, by some domestic avocation, and when she looked for the object again, it had disappeared.

You request a detailed account of my observations relative to the serpent. I saw him on the 14th ultimo, and when nearest, I judged him to be about two hundred and fifty yards from me. At that distance I judged him (in the largest part) about the size of a half barrel, gradually tapering towards the two extremes. Twice I saw him with a glass only for a short time, and at other times with the naked eye for nearly half an hour. His colour appeared nearly black-his motion was vertical. When he moved on the surface of the water, the track in his rear was visible for at least half a mile.

His velocity, when moving on the surface of the water, I judged was at the rate of a mile in about four minutes. When immersed in the water, his speed was greater, moving, I should say, at the rate of a mile in two or at most three minutes. When moving under water you could often trace him by the motion of the water on the surface, and from this circumstance I conclude he did not swim deep. He apparently went draw a line. as straight through the water as you could When he changed his course, it diminished his velocity but little-the two extremes that were visible appeared rapidly moving in opposite directions, and when

they came parallel, they appeared not more than a yard apart. With a glass I could not take in, at one view, the two extremes of the animal that were visible. I have looked at a vessel at about the same distance, and could distinctly see forty-five feet. If he should be taken, I have no doubt that his length will be found seventy feet at least, and I should not be surprised, if he should be found one hundred feet long. When I saw him, I was standing on an eminence, on the sea shore, elevated about thirty feet above the surface of the water, and the sea was smooth.

If I saw his head, I could not distinguish it from his body; though there were seafaring men near me, who said that they could distinctly see his head. I believe they spoke truth; but not having been much accustomed to look through a glass, I was not so fortunate.

I never saw more than seven or eight distinct portions of him above the water at any one time, and he appeared rough; though I supposed this appearance was produced by his motion. When he disappeared, he apparently sunk directly down like a rock."

The information conveyed by Mr Jenks is extracted from manuscript notes kept by him in America, and the letter which contains them is dated September 17, 1817.

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"June 28th, 1809. The Rev. Mr Abraham Cummings,' who has been much employed in missions in the district of Meine, and navigated his own boat among the islands, &c. in the discharge of his duty, informs me,' in conversation, which was immediately written from his lips, that in Penobscot bay has been occasionally seen within these thirty years, a Sea Serpent, supposed to be about sixty feet in length, and of the size of a sloop's mast. Rev. Mr Cummings saw him, in company with his wife and daughter, a young lady of Belfast, Martha Spring; and judged he was about three times the length of his boat, which is twenty-three feet. When he was seen this time he appeared not to notice the boat, though he was distant, as nearly as could be ascertained, but about fifteen rods. Cummings observes, that the British saw him in their expedition to Bagaduse; that the inhabitants of Fox and Long Islands have seen such an animal, and that a Mr Crocket saw two of them together about twenty-two years since. When he was seen by the inhabitants of Fox Island, two persons were together at both times. People also of Mount Desert have seen the monster. One of those which were seen by Mr Crocket was smaller than that seen by Mr Cummings, and their motion in the sea appeared to be a perpendicular winding, and not horizontal. The British supposed the length of that, which they saw, to be three hundred feet, but this Mr Cummings imagines VOL. III.

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to be an exaggeration. A gentleman of intelligence (Rev. Alden Bradford of Wiscasset, now Secretary of the Commonwealth), inquired of Mr Cummings whether the appearance might not be produced by a number of porpoises following each other in a train; but Mr Cummings asserts, that the animal held its head out of the water about five feet till he got out to sea; for when seen he was going out of the bay, and Mr Cummings was ascending it. The colour was a bluish green about the head and neck, but the water rippled so much over his body that it was not possible to determine its tint. The shape of the head was like that of a common snake, flattened, and about the size of a pail. He was seen approaching, passing, and departing. Till this, Mr Cummings was as incredulous, in respect to its existence, as many of his neighbours. The weather was calm, and it was the month of August, in which month, Mr Cummings remarks, that as far as he has heard, the Serpent makes his appearance on

the coast.'

I am inclined to suppose, that Mr Cummings' account is that, which in one of the public papers was lately alluded to, as having been communicated to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, but mislaid.

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'Aug. 23, 1809. Mr Charles Shaw, (then of Bath, now an attorney of Boston), informed me, that a Capt. Lillis, with whom he had sailed, observed cursorily in conver sation, that he had seen off the coast a very singular fish; it appeared, said he, more like a snake than a fish, and was about forty feet long. It held its head erect, had no mane, and looked like an ordinary serpent. He asked Mr Shaw if he had ever seen, or read, or heard of such an animal?

About two years after hearing this, while on a journey to Indian Old Town, as one of the Massachusetts Commissioners to induce the Indians to cultivate their lands, I had opportunity to make further inquiry, and find in my journal the following entry :

'Sept. 10, 1811. Having heard to-day further testimony respecting the Sea Serpent of Penobscot. A Mr Staples of Prospect, of whom I inquired as I passed, was told, by a Mr Miller of one of the islands of the bay, that he had seen it; and it was as big as a sloop's boon, and about sixty or seventy feet long.' He told me also, that about 1780, as a schooner was lying at the mouth of the river, or in the bay, one of these enormous creatures leaped over it between the masts-that the men ran into the hold for fright, and that the weight of the serpent sunk the vessel, one streak,' or plank. The schooner was of about eighteen tons.'

Having, we trust, by means of the preceding extracts and observations, sufficiently cleared away all doubts from the minds of such of our readers

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