Part 64

“We sincerely hope that these few bare facts may satisfy all upon this much agitated question; at least we think they must remove the ideal connection between our serpent, and

“That sea-snake, enormous curled, “Whose monstrous circle girds the world.”

“It can now no longer be considered in association with hydras and mermaids, for there has been nothing said with regard to it inconsistent with reason. It may at least be assumed as a sober fact in Natural History quite unconnected with the gigantic exploits of the God Thor, or the fanciful absurdities of the Scandinavian mythology. We cannot suppose, that the most ultra-sceptical can now continue to doubt with regard to facts attested by such highly respectable witnesses.”

It is a deplorable fact that all the endeavours of such an eminent scientist to convince zoologists of the existence of sea-serpents, have been in vain!

German translations of the whole of Dr. HOOKER’S paper as well as of the letters from Dr. BOOTT and Mr. WARBURTON are in FRORIEP’S Notizen, of April, 1827, Vol. XVII, n^o. 356, p. 49.

In the American Journal of Science and Arts, Vol. XII, June 1827, the editor, Prof. BENJAMIN SILLIMAN, says:

“To us it seems a matter of surprise, that any person who has examined the testimony, can doubt the existence of the Sea-Serpent; the documents communicated by Dr. Bigelow of Boston, and published in the second volume of this Journal, in 1820, were in our judgment alone sufficient, to settle the question: the following letter is an important additional document.”

This is the letter from Mr. WARBURTON to Mr. BARCLAY, reprinted evidently from the Edinb. Journal (n^o. 83, 84).

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=85=.--1827, August 24.--According to FRORIEP’S Notizen Vol. XIX, n^o. 409, p. 193,

“the Norwegische Handelszeitung” (apparently of the 3d. or 4th. of September, 1827), “contains fresh intelligence of the Sea-Serpent, which confirms what has been published by Captain de Capell Brooke.”

“In the last days of the last month an animal was seen by several trustworthy men in Christianiafjord, which, according to the description, appears to be a sea-serpent of extraordinary dimensions. On the 1st of this month five eyewitnesses were heard before the justice of peace, and according to their agreeing declarations, the animal held its head, which was dark and black, above the surface of the water, and showed at least ten coils; there was a distance of about twenty ells” (60 feet) “between each two coils, and the coils themselves were about six ells” (18 feet) “so that the total length of the animal may be estimated at 250 ells” (750 feet). “It moved with about the swiftness of a common boat, rowed by a man in still water, and caused a heavy rushing, like a strong motion in the water. The thickness was about that of a large wine-barrel or pipe. No tail, nor fins were observed. The rushing, it is believed, was caused by the head. The coils were movable, i. e. what was above the water one moment, was under it the next. Two eye-witnesses also declared, that what they saw, was one coherent whole and were not several animals. On Friday, the 24th. of August, at 10 o’clock A. M. the animal was seen moving from the Vakkerö-Bay into the Bonnefjord. The animal was seen from a distance of 200 fathoms.”

Although the dimensions are exaggerated, the other features of the animal, viz. the head which is dark and black, and held above the water, the undulating motion of the animal, its visible coils, the rushing sound made by it, the apparent want of fins and the tail, which were hidden under water, are correct and known to us.

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=86=.--1827, August 26.--(The same journal, the same issue).

“And on Sunday, the 26th. of August at 7 o’clock in the evening it came again from the fjord and swam towards the ship-wharf, passing Liob-, and Principal-Islands.--It was then seen from a distance of 120 fathoms. The eye-witnesses declared, that, if asked, they were ready to make oath to those declarations.”

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=87=.--1827, September 3.--(The same journal, the same issue).--

“Christiania, Sept. 5.--The sea-serpent, mentioned in the Monday-number, has been seen again the day before yesterday off Nusodden.”

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=88=.--1827, September 5.--(The same journal, the same issue).

“and to-day, off Lepager, by persons just as trustworthy as those who were heard before the justice. Their affidavit in principal points agrees with that of the former. A reward is offered to whoever will kill it and bring it home.”

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=89=.--1827, September 9.--(The same journal, the same issue).--

“Christiania, September 15.--Sunday last the sea-serpent appeared also off Dröbak. Last week several persons saw large shoals of porpoises, and therefore supposed that the alleged presence of the former could not be true. But as among those who saw the sea-serpent, are many fishermen and seamen, who know very well how to distinguish the several sea-animals, and as it is not at all uncommon, that porpoises and whales of the smaller kind appear here in the fjord, so there is no reason to condemn the judicial concurrent testimonies.”

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=90=, =91=.--1828? The well-known Mr. HEINRICH RATHKE, when on a journey in Norway, noted down the following evidence, which he published in the Archiv für Naturgeschichte of 1841.

“Nils Roe, workman at Mr. William Knutszon’s, an elderly and simple man, relates: I saw the serpent twice, once at noon, and two days afterwards towards the evening, in the fjord” (near Christiansund) “at the back of Mr. Knutszon’s garden. The first time, when it was nearest to me, it was about a hundred feet distant. It swam first along the fjord, afterwards over against the spot, where I stood. I then observed it for more than half an hour. Some strangers, who were on the opposite shore, fired at it, when it disappeared.”