Part 40

“As one object of the Academy is to notice and preserve discoveries in Natural History, I am induced to communicate to the society the following account of a Sea-Serpent, which I have lately collected.”

“It will probably be within the recollection of some persons conversant with Navigation, that in the course of a few years past, there have been vague reports of an animal of this description having been seen in or near Penobscot Bay. But little credit, however, was attached to the story, and no particular authentic account has yet been given to the public on the subject.”

“A few months ago I happened to hear related the story of one, which was seen in the Bay of Penobscot in 1802. And for my own satisfaction, I have been inquisitive to the truth of the account, and to the general evidence of the existence of such an animal. The first correct information I received was from the perusal of a letter to Rev. Alexander McLean, from Rev. Mr. Cummings of Sullivan; which is enclosed, and marked A. and some remarks were added by Mr. McLean at my request. The account was liable to some objections, and not so particular as might be wished. I therefore wrote Mr. Cummings, and in reply, received a statement more in detail, which accompanies this, and is marked B.”

“I was afterwards informed, that George Little Esq. late commander of the Boston frigate, saw a sea-monster similar to the one described by Mr. Cummings, in the time of the revolutionary war with Great-Britain; and as I was anxious for all the information that was to be had, I wrote him on the subject, and he forwarded the enclosed (marked C.) in answer to my letter. I have also the testimony of a Capt. Crabtree of Portland, an intelligent man, which is direct and positive. This is also enclosed and marked D. It was written in his presence and received his signature, as a correct statement.”

“All this evidence, I think, cannot fail to establish the fact that a large sea-serpent has been seen in and near the Bay of Penobscot. The existence of such a Monster can no longer be reasonably disputed. But whether he constantly resides in that vicinity, or whether he coasts further south or north, during a part of the year, more particular information is necessary to ascertain. Nor is it known on what species of fish he subsists. By this communication I have it in view only to furnish evidence of the actual existence of the animal. It will probably operate in favour of further information, and lead to a particular history of this hitherto undescribed Serpent.

“I am with great esteem

“Your humble servant

“A. Bradford.”

The four letters above mentioned and marked A, B, C, and D, are already inserted in their right places. I refer my readers to n^o. 29, where the letters marked A and B are copied, to n^o. 19, where that marked C is inserted, and to n^o. 17, where the letter marked D will be found back.

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=30=.--1805? Mr. RAFINESQUE SCHMALTZ (Phil. Mag. LIV, 1819) in his Additions to his dissertation, says:

“4. Mr. W. LEE has brought to notice another Sea-Snake, seen by him many years ago near Cape Breton and Newfoundland, which was over 200 feet long, with the back of a dark green: it stood in the water in flexuous hillocks, and went through it with impetuous noise. This appears to be the largest on record and might well be called Pelamis monstrosus; but if there are other species of equal size, it must be called then Pelamis chloronotis, or Green-back Pelamis.”

The length of 200 feet is estimated more than once, though in many instances probably exaggerated. The definition of the colour to be a dark green one, we have already explained above, discussing the report of Mr. CUMMINGS. The flexuous hillocks are of course nothing else but the vertical undulations, the impetuous noise is caused by the fore-flappers as will be stated afterwards. Of Mr. RAFINESQUE’S determination I will say nothing, because it is a false one and a proof of his credulity.

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=31=.--1808, June.--At a meeting of the Wernerian Natural History Society on the 13th. of May, 1809 (Phil. Mag., Vol. 33, p. 411) “the Secretary read a letter from the Rev. Mr. MACLEAN of Small Isles, mentioning the appearance of a vast Sea-Snake, between 70 and 80 feet long, among the Hebrides, in June, 1808.”

This letter is printed in the first Volume of the Memoirs of the Wernerian Natural History Society (1811) and runs as follows:

“To the Secretary of the Wernerian Natural History Society.”

“Eigg Island, 24th April 1809.”

“Sir”

“Your letter of the first instant I received, and would have written in answer thereto sooner, had I not thought it desirable to examine others relative to the animal of which you wish me to give a particular 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 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 get, with apparent difficulty clear of the creek, where our boat lay, and where the monster seemed in danger 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. Its 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. Its 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.

“I remain, Sir, &c.

“DONALD MACLEAN.”

To understand well what Mr. MACLEAN meant with “shining filaments” which he did not see, I must return to the “Animal of Stronsa”, the putrified body of a large basking shark. My readers will remember that the putrified dorsal fins of that shark resembled bristles, which were transparent, and gave light in the dark (p. 61). Evidently the Secretary of the Wernerian Society writing to Mr. MACLEAN, asked him to give a full description of the animal seen by him near “the coast of Eigg”, and whether he saw on its back “shining filaments” or not. Of course, Mr. MACLEAN did not see them!

For the first time it is mentioned by an eye-witness that the shoulders were visible. Mr. MACLEAN adds: “if I can so term them”. This is very remarkable, for we may safely take it for granted, that he, like all other persons, believed to see a sea-snake, or serpentine animal, and yet, though he could not know, that it has flappers, and probably would not have believed it, when it was told him, he has distinctly seen that the animal at once became much broader behind its long neck.

The animal plunged violently under water. When Mr. MACLEAN had reached his safe position he saw the animal swimming rapidly under water towards his boat. We must suppose that it swam so near the surface, though under water and invisible, that the surface rippled, and a wake was formed by the motion of the animal. The animal coming in shallow water, turned immediately and swam away. Once it did not raise its head quite above water, so that the neck was under water. When the head was most elevated, it appeared evidently to take a view of distant objects. These five habits as yet new to us, will be observed and reported several times afterwards. The other statements of Mr. MACLEAN are all mere repetitions of so often mentioned peculiarities.

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=32=.--1808 June.--In the same letter we read: