It was in the year 1817, that some “American” authorities reported that an animal of very singular appearance had been repeatedly seen in the Harbour of Gloucester, at Cape Anne, nearly thirty miles from Boston; and Amos Story, of Gloucester, has deposed that he saw a strange marine animal, like a serpent, in the Harbour of Gloucester. It was noon when he first saw the animal, and it continued in sight for an hour and a half. Story was sitting on the shore, about twenty rods from the animal, whose head appeared shaped like the head of a sea-turtle, and was raised from ten to twelve inches above the surface of the water. At that distance it appeared larger than the head of any dog. From the back part of the head to the next part that was visible was from three to four feet. It moved very rapidly through the water—a mile in about three minutes. On this day, Story did not see more than ten or twelve feet of its body. Some days after this, he saw what he believed to be the same animal, which then lay perfectly still, extended on the water. He had a good telescope and continued looking at it for half-an-hour, and it remained still and perfectly visible. He did not, however, see its head nor tail. Its colour appeared a dark brown, and while the sun shone upon it the reflection was bright. Story thought its body was the size of a man’s.
Another ship-master, Solomon Allen deposed that on the 12th, 13th, and 14th of August, 1817, he saw a strange marine animal, which he believed to be a Serpent, in the Harbour of Gloucester. This animal was between eighty and ninety feet in length, and about the size of a half-barrel—apparently having joints from the head to the tail. Allen was about one-hundred-and-fifty yards from it. The head was formed something like a rattlesnake, but nearly as large as that of a horse. Allen went round it in a boat several times. Its haunches appeared to be about ten inches from the surface of the water. At times its head was about ten feet in perpendicular height, and its mouth open.
James Ellary of Gloucester, shipmaster, also deposed that he saw the Sea Serpent. He saw the upper part of its head, and about forty feet of its body. It appeared to have joints about the size of a two-gallon keg. W. H. Foster deposed to the animal being shaded in colour, and also to the particulars above-mentioned; and further said, that as he drew near to the place at which he was stationed to observe it, there arose from its head a prong or spear, about twelve inches in height and six inches in circumference, terminating in a point. Mathew Gaffrey, of the same place, also deposed that he saw this strange “marine,” and that its head appeared as large as a four-gallon keg, its body as large as a barrel, and its length at least forty feet. The top of its head was of a dark colour, the under part nearly white. He fired at it with his gun, and thought he must have hit it. It turned towards him immediately, and went directly under his boat, and made its appearance at about a hundred yards from the place where it dived.
Several others deposed to these particulars, and Sewell Toppon, master of the schooner “Laura,” said that he saw the “marine” on the eastern point of Cape Ann, being becalmed. Its head was the size of a ten-gallon cask, and that it left a great “wake” behind. Robert Bragg said he saw the “beast,” with its head six or seven inches out of the water. He did not see its eyes, but when astern of the vessel about fifteen feet, it threw out its tongue, which was about two feet in length, and the end was like a harpoon. William Sowerby also deposed that he saw its tongue, and one eye, which appeared large and bright, like that of an ox. Its body moved up and down, and its head wagged from side to side. The colour of its tongue was a light brown. Elkanah Finney also deposed at length, and amongst other things, declared that it appeared to him like a long string of bungs. He saw thirty or forty of its “hunches” all in a line. The head appeared about six feet long. Its under-jaw had a white stripe. It appeared to be at least 150 feet long. It often rose, and it appeared as if fishing for its food. It seemed to move at the rate of twenty miles an hour. Various other persons deposed to the same particulars—one that it had a beard, which flowed down its venerable chops like sea-weed. Another declared solemnly that it had a kind of “swivel eye,” which followed the boat whichever way it turned. One said, that it suddenly rose up into the form of a “steeple,” and that upon firing at it, the ball must have passed through the inside of the “steeple” part of his body. One declared that he saw the end of its tail, which had a kind of tuft or fin, about four or five feet from its “cutter-cud,” and, at last, a large kind of serpent was actually caught at “Prospect,” which was exhibited at Boston as the progeny of some “old serpent”—but this, on inspection, proved to be a “whopping” conger eel.
Since these “appearances” on the American side have taken place, we have had many accounts of the greatest of all the “marines.” It has been frequently seen in the Atlantic, once or twice in the South Sea—sometimes computed at three hundred feet, sometimes at seventy—sometimes with a beard, sometimes without. The last account of it is taken from the log-book of the “Jesse Gleaner,” in which it is depicted as resembling in the head, a “griffin;” in the body, a hundred sugar hogs-heads linked together by a rope; and in the tail, as one of Peter Parley’s best. Whether my young friends will ever hear or know more of it, will be left to the future concatenation of events. Perhaps “Old Charley” may pick it up in the Baltic, or Keet lay hold of it at the “fish ordinary” at Billingsgate.
Since the above was written, we have received the following, concerning the capture of the “beast.” It is in a letter from Charles Seabury, master of the whale ship “Monongatiela,” of New Bedford, and states as follows,—On the morning of the 13th of January, when in latitude 3 deg. 10 min. S., and longitude 131 deg. 50 min. W., the man on the look-out cried “white water.” I was aloft half-an-hour before I observed anything like white water—then I presumed it was a shoal of porpoises. I ordered the mate to keep both eyes open, and went down, it being my breakfast hour. Before I reached the deck, my attention was called to the sudden cry of Annetu Vanjan, a Marquesan Islander. “Oh look! me see! too much! no whale! too big! me ’fraid!” The native continued to look with eagerness. I turned to leeward, and my eye rested on the strangest creature I had ever seen in the ocean. I knew it was not a whale. “It is a Sea Serpent!”—I exclaimed; “stand by the boats.” When they had mustered, I said, “I do not order you to go into the boats—who will volunteer?” Every American in the ship stepped out—we lowered—I told the boat-steerer, James Whittermore, of Vermont, to stand up, who, with calm intrepidity, laid hold of his harpoon; when I beckoned with my hand, quick as thought both his weapons were buried to the socket in the repulsive body before us; the head and tail of the monster rushed to touch the wound; the frightfulness of the head filled the crew with terror; he began to sound, and the line went out, in all, one thousand fathoms. At four a.m., on the 14th inst., sixteen hours after it went down, the line began to slack, and just before breakfast it rose; we lanced the body repeatedly without any signs of life; at last it drew itself up, and we pulled away, and then witnessed the terrific dying struggles of the monster. The evolutions of the body were quick as lightning, like the revolving of a thousand enormous black wheels, and a sound was heard, so dead and unearthly, that a thrill of horror ran through our veins. The convulsive effort lasted fifteen minutes, when suddenly it ceased, turned up, and lay still. Our prey was dead! I took off my hat, when nine terrific cheers broke from the crew. It was a male, one hundred-and-three feet long, nineteen feet round the neck, twenty-five feet round the shoulders, and forty-nine feet round the largest part of the body. The head was long and flat, with ridges, the end of the tongue was like a heart, the back black, sides brown, under the belly yellow, with a white streak. The body was covered with blubber, and the oil was as clear as water, and burnt like spirits of turpentine. One of his lungs was three feet longer than the other.
