Part 18

In 1845 Dr. ALBERT C. KOCH “exhibited a large skeleton of a fossil animal, under the name of Hydrarchos Sillimanni in Broadway, New York, purporting to be that of an extinct marine serpent. These remains consisted of a head and vertebral column, measuring in all 114 feet, of a few ribs attached to the thoracic portion of the latter, and of parts of supposed paddles” (see Proc. Boston Soc. of Nat. Hist. Nov. 1845, Vol. II, p. 65). I show here to my readers the figure of this skeleton, which I have found in the Wochenblatt für das Christliche Volk of 1878. The description of this skeleton in full particulars is given by Prof. WYMAN in the above mentioned American Journal. I will not trouble my readers with it, but only mention that Prof. WYMAN in the same paper proved that “these remains never belonged to one and the same individual, and that the anatomical characters of the teeth indicate that they are not those of a reptile, but of a warm blooded mammal”. And he comes to the conclusion that the greater part of the bones belonged to the genus Basilosaurus of HARLAN, 1824, an animal allied to the seals. The same genus is called Zeuglodon by Prof. RICHARD OWEN in 1839, Dorudon by Prof. GIBBES in 1845, and Saurocetus by Prof. AGASSIZ.

In the same Proceedings, of Dec. 1845, Vol. II, p. 73, Prof. H. D. ROGERS too states, that according to the form and structure of some loose bones, the skeleton must be of at least two individuals of Basilosaurus.

In the same periodical (of Jan. 1846, Vol. II, p. 94) we read that Dr. KOCH also told the public that the bones had been found together, in a position which proved that they belonged to one individual, and that the vertebrae formed an integral series, arranged in the order in which they were lying when discovered. That this assertion too was a mere fabrication, is not only shown by Prof. WYMAN, as we have seen above, but also in a letter by Dr. LISTER, who stated that Dr. KOCH had dug up the bones in different places in Alabama.

A little notice on this imposture was written by the New York correspondent in the Cincinnati Gazette which, translated into German, appeared in FRORIEP’S Neue Notizen of Febr. 1846, Vol. 37, n^o 801, p. 134.

In the Illustrated London News of Oct. 28, 1848, we read that Prof. SILLIMAN attested: “that the spinal column belongs to the same individual, that the skeleton differs, most essentially, from any existing or fossil serpent, although it may countenance the popular (and I believe well founded) impression of the existence in our modern seas of huge animals, to which the name of Sea-Serpent had been attached”.

These words were undoubtedly taken from another newspaper or journal, but I can hardly believe that Prof. SILLIMAN had a share in this imposture.

In the Illustrated London News of Nov. 4, 1848, the Editor published a letter directed to him by the well-known Geologist and Palaeontologist MANTELL:

“Sir,--Will you allow me to correct a statement that appeared in the last Number of your interesting publication? The fossil mentioned at the conclusion of the admirable notice of the so-called Sea-Serpent, as having been exhibited in America under the name of Hydrarchos Sillimannii, was constructed by the exhibitor Koch, from bones collected in various parts of Alabama, and which belonged to several individual skeletons of an extinct marine cetacean, termed Basilosaurus by the American naturalists, and better known in this country by that of Zeuglodon, a term signifying yoked teeth. Mr. Koch is the person who, a few years ago, had a fine collection of fossil bones of elephants and mastodons, out of which he made up an enormous skeleton, and exhibited it in the Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly, under the name of Missourium. This collection was purchased by the trustees of the British Museum, and from it were selected the bones which now constitute the matchless skeleton of a Mastodon in our National Gallery of Organic Remains”.

“Not content with the interest which the fossils which he collected in various parts of the United States really possess, Mr. Koch, with the view of exciting the curiosity of the ignorant multitude, strung together all the vertebrae he could obtain of the Basilosaurus, and arranged them in a serpentine form; manufactured a skull and claws, and exhibited the monster as a fossil Sea-Serpent, under the name above mentioned--Hydrarchos. But the trick was immediately exposed by the American naturalists, and the true nature of the fossil bones pointed out.”

“Bones of the Basilosaurus have been found in many parts of Alabama and South Carolina, in green sand belonging to a very ancient (Eocene) tertiary formation. Hundreds of vertebrae, bones of the extremities, portions of the cranium, and of the jaws with teeth, have from time to time been collected. Remains of species of the same genus have also been found near Bordeaux and in Malta”.

“Professor Owen has shown that the original animal was a marine cetacean, holding an intermediate place between the Cachelots and the herbivorous species. It must have attained a length equal to that of the largest living whales; for a series of vertebrae was observed in situ, that extended in a line 65 feet. An interesting Memoir on the Basilosaurus by Dr. Gibbes, of Columbia, was published in the Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Vol. I, 2^d. Series, 1847; and a Memoir on the remains of the same animal, by Prof. Owen appeared in the “Transactions of the Geological Society of London”, Vol. VI; a brief notice of which is inserted in my “Medals of Creation” p. 826, under the name of Zeuglodon cetoides”.

“Gideon Algernon Mantell”.

“19, Chestersquare, Pimlico, Oct. 31. 1848”.

In the Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat, Hist. (Vol. III, p. 328, Dec. 1850) we read:

“This animal” (the Basilosaurus) “was supposed by Dr. KOCH to be a reptile, a marine serpent, but Dr. Wyman has exposed the fallacy of this opinion, and shown that it was a warm blooded mammal”.

I do not think this to be the true view of the matter. I firmly believe that Dr. KOCH knew very well what he did, and that he was in every way an impostor who cheated the credulous people of their money. The honour of the discovery that the Basilosaurus is a warm blooded mammal is due to Prof. OWEN. Dr. WYMAN has only recognized that the bones were of the Basilosaurus.

The further history of the large skeleton exhibited in New York is related to us in that same Journal:

“Koch’s sea-serpent was carried to Dresden, where it was described by Carus, who figured it and even restored the cranium, of which then only a portion had been found. Carus restored the cranium of a reptile, but this was a mere fiction of his imagination; for an entire cranium has since been found, proving beyond a doubt that the Zeuglodon was not a reptile but a cetacean; the teeth being inserted by double roots into double alveoli is positive evidence that it was a warmblooded mammal. Muller has also carefully studied this specimen, and pronounces it unquestionably a cetacean.”

* * * * *

The reader will further on see mention made of a report, generally known as that of the Daedalus. It appeared in the newspapers of October, 1848. As soon as it was published, the following letter was addressed to the Editor of the Globe. It first appeared in the number of 21. Oct., 1848, of that journal, next in the Times of 23d. Oct. and in the Illustrated London News of 28 Oct. It runs as follows:

“Mary Ann, of Glasgow, Glasgow, October 19”.

“I have just reached this port, on a voyage from Malta and Lisbon, and my attention having been called to a report relative to an animal seen by the master and crew of Her Majesty’s ship Daedalus, I take the liberty of communicating the following circumstance:--

“When clearing out of the port of Lisbon, on the 30th of September last, we spoke the American brig Daphne, of Boston, Mark Trelawney master. He signalled for us to heave to, which we did; and standing close round her counter, lay-to while the mate boarded us with the jolly boat, and handed a packet of letters to be despatched per first steamer for Boston on our arrival in England. The mate told me that when in lat. 4° 11′ S., long. 10° 15′ E., wind dead north, upon the 20th of September, a most extraordinary animal had been seen: from his description it had the appearance of a huge serpent or snake, with a dragon’s head. Immediately upon its being seen, one of the deck guns was brought to bear upon it, which having been charged with spike-nails, and whatever other pieces of iron could be got at the moment, was discharged at the animal, then only distant about forty yards from the ship; it immediately reared its head in the air, and plunged violently with its body, showing evidently that the charge had taken effect. The Daphne was to leeward at the time, but was put about on the starboard tack and stood towards the brute, which was seen foaming and lashing the water at a fearful rate: upon the brig nearing, however, it disappeared, and, though evidently wounded, made rapidly off at the rate of 15 or 16 knots an hour, as was judged from its appearing several times upon the surface. The Daphne pursued for some time, but the night coming on the master was obliged to put about and continue his voyage”.

“From the description given by the mate, the brute must have been nearly 100 feet long, and his account of it agrees in every respect with that lately forwarded to the admiralty by the captain of the Daedalus. The packet of letters to Boston, I have no doubt, contains the full particulars, which, I suppose, will be made public”.

“There are letters from captain Trelawney to a friend in Liverpool, which will probably contain some further particulars, and I have written to get a copy for the purpose of getting the full account. James Henderson, Master, Broomielaw, Berth, n^o 4”.

The same story was inserted in the Zoologist of 27 Nov. 1848, and Mr. NEWMAN the Editor who half a year before had fallen into the snare laid by the so-called captain WOODWARD, and who was taken to task by Mr. COOPER, grown more careful, now added:

“Doubtless the sagacious production of some selfstyled philosophical naturalist, who is pledged to one of the hypothetical modes of explaining away the existence of a sea-serpent, and who hopes by a hoax of this kind to throw discredit on Captain M’Quhae’s statement”.

Now, I think, Mr. NEWMAN was on the right track!