The National Register. — London, England, 1818-01-12 00:00:00

I .4 JAN. 111. AMERICAN SEA SERPENT. [FROM THE JOURNAL OF SCIENCES AND 71IE ARTS.] '• In the !tiontli of August ISt 7, it w a s cu rt (id l y reported on various authorities, Ihal au ;111:1111:11 of very singular appear ance had been recently and repeatedly seen in the harbour of Gloucester, Cape Aun, about thirty miles distant from Ilushl l . It was said to reseinUte a serpent in its general form and :notions, to be 4t iiiintAsse sise. and to Mute with wontlerfoi rapidity ; to itlieV.ll' on the surface of the water oaly in calm and bright and to seem jointed, or like a number of buoys or ca•ks fotiowiiie each °tit •r iu Al line. " In l'UllSetillellee Of these reports, at a meeting of the Lin mean .I‘iviety of New Litgland, holden at Boston on the ISrli day of August, the lion. John D.4t Is, Jacob Bigelow, M.l). and Francis C. Geay, Esq. were a,i,onineil a COO kkkk titer to collect evidence with regard to the existence and appearance olany such animal , and 'lave since published a very copious report, from which the existence of the animal is placed be yond doubt. We are sorry only to have room fur the hillow ing extrart front the evidence, which hawever will give our readers, some notion of li:s aspect and request a detailed account of my observations relative to the serpent. I saw him 011 the 14th ultimo, and when nearest, I judged him 10 be about two hundred Width)) , yards front inc. At that distance I judged Iwn tin the largest part) about the size of a half barrel, gradually tapering to wards the two extremes. Twice I saw him with a glass, only for a spurt time, and at other times, with the naked eye, for nearly half an hour. His colour appeared nearly black-- bis motion was vertical. When he moved Ull the surface of the water, the track in his rear was visiole, far at least half a nide. " His velocity, when moving on the surface of the water, I judged was at the rate of* 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 mi nutes. Wiles moving under water, you, could often (rare him by the motion of the water, on the surface, and from this co , cumstance, I concinde he did nut swim deep. He apparently went as straight through the water, as you could draw a line. When he changed his conrse, it dimmislsed 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, 1 could not take in, at one view, the two extremes of the that were risible. I have looked at a vessel at about the same distance, and could distinctly see forty five feet. If he .should be takes, I have no doubt that his length will be found one hundred feet long. IVhen I saw him I was standing on an eminence, on the seashore, elevated about thirty fee: above the surface of the water, and the sea was smooth. •' If I aaw his head, I could not distinguish it from his body, though there were seafaring men near me, who said that they could distiuctly see his head. I believe they spoke truth; but not having been much accustomed to look through a glass, I was not so for.imate. _ `• I never saw more than seven or eight distinct portions of tire above the water. at any one time, and he appeared rough; though I supposed this appearance was produced by his mo tion. When he disappeared he apparently souk directly down like a rock. " Capt. Beach has been in Boston, for a week past, and I tins informed that h.- is still there. Au engraving front his drawing of the serpent Iris becri, or is now, making in Hos tun ; but I have not Leen able to ascertain how far his draw ing is thought a CUIII:Lt representation. " ikespectfully, Sir, your most obedient, " LONSON NASH." 4 ' flownevable .Loha Davis." . _ " I, William B. Pearson of Gloucester, in the County of 'Masts, merchant, depose and say That I have,several times, seen estrange Marine animal, that I believe to be a serpent, of great size. I have had a good view of him only once, and this was on the 18th of August, A. D. 1817. I was ill a sail boat, and when off IVehber's cove (so called) in the harbour of said Gloucester, 1 saw something coming out of the cove ; we hove to. not doubting but that it was the same creature that hail been seen several times iu the harbour, and hail ex- cited lunch interest among the inhabitants of Gluncester. James P. Collins was the only person with me. The serpent passed out under the sters of our beat, towards Ten hound bloat( ; then lie stood in towards us again, and crossed our bow. W e immediately exclaimed,' here is the snake?' From what I saw of him, I should say that lie was nothing short of weeenty feet in length. 1 distinctly saw 111111Clit's on his back, and once lie raised his head out of the ater. Thz to p .) of his head appeared flat, and was tai,e(l seven or eight inches above the surface of the water. He passed by the how of the boat, at %bout thirty yards distance. His colour was a dark brown. 1 saw him at this time about two minutes. His IMO.. tiou was vertical. Hie velocity at this time was not great, though at lillll.l. I have seen 100 move with great velocity, 1 should sav at the rate of a mile in three miuntes, mid perhaps faster. His size I judged to be about the size of a half bar rel. I saw 11r. Gatiney tire at him, at about the distance of thirty yards. I thought lie hit hiw, and afterwards he ap peared mare shy. He turned very short, and appeared as limber atii! active as the eel, when compared to his size. The form of the curve when he turned in the water, resembled a staple; his head seemed to approach towards his body, for some feet ; then his head and tail appeared moving rapidly, in opposite directions, and when his bead and tail were on parallel lines, they appeared not more than two or three yards apart. " Ac what time in the day was this ?-11etween the hours of live and six, in the afternoon. " How many dustinet portions of it were out of water at one time ?--Ten or twelve distinct portions. "Can you describe his eyes and month ?--I thought and believe, that I saw his eye at one time, and it was dai k and sharp. " How did its tail terminate had not a very distinct view of his tail ; I saw no bunches towards, wl.at L thought the end Of his tail, and I believe there were mine. " WILLIAM 13. PEARSON." A few days since, as a man at the Abercrombie Inn, At un- del, was making.sonie detonating crack( rs lot sale, he in cautiously let fall some ut the 'instate (fulminating salri•ra, about the quantity 01 . lilt ,litC of a pea, wilco another mall ac cidently stepping on it, it exploded, and tore oaf three of his toes, and *lns ea ed his shoe to fragments. A few days since, as the daughter of J. Wellston'', u. Littleniure, neat Oxford, about six yea's of age was standing by the tire, in the house ut neighbour, a cinder flew trona the gate on her clothes, which immediately took tire, .by which she wirs so dfcadfolly burnt that her WC is dc *mixed of. THE NATIONAL REGISTER, POLICE. MANSION HOUSE. A DISTRESSING ClittUSlST.stier.—A poor Irishwoman, whose appearance indicated no ordinary degree of calamity, W.ll. brought before the Lord :114) or, on Wednesday, to an ,beer the complaint of a geistleman of iudepruilent fortune iii the city. A friend oldie complainant mentioned to his Lordship, that CollinAloll had unthrtituately esistrd between the two pct sous who thus aol.r:ued hetore the public about 14 years ago, the fruit of as Inch was a dan;diter, who was nninediatldy reinabed into the pi utection of her tallier, by %%hum she was educated with the most attentive care; at the saute time that she was taught to believe her minier to have been in no respect his inferior, and that that parent was now dead. It was apprehended by the complainant, that the very worst conseiluciaces would arise from undecciviug the child upon the subject of the very important distance between the con dition, of the parties, and more especially from a contradic tion of the mother's death. To prevent such a disaster, he gave an annual allowance to the mother, in order to make her attns same opinion, and to induce her to stay in her own country, making it one oftlic conditions that she should never come to this. For several years the understanding was kept up with the necessary scrupulousness, and the young lady was advancing in accomplishments, and had now attained such improvement as to make the shock at beholding such a mother impossible to be borne. The prisoner was however, determined to break in upon the happiness of father and child; and accordingly came to town, and created much disturbance at the complainant's house, upon being told that she should not see her child. The feelings of the father were, the witness said, indescribable upon the occasion. The Lord Nlayor.—" Who can tell me what the feelings of the mother must have been : were they not of an afflicting kind, too?" The complainant's friend replied, that much allowance would certainly be made if it were uut the fact that the sole obj«.t of the prisoner was to oblige the complainant to give her mione . She had, he said, frequently travelled from Ireimid, and made her anxiety to see her daughter the pretence for undertaking the journey, without having any visible means ut accomplishing it. The complainant, influ enced by atfeeti 0000 for hi' daughter, was unrestricted in his liberality, and procured short intervals of ease from every present to the visitor. . _ The Lord Nlayins—" Still there appears in this story some thing that operates more upon the heart of a poor It lu sh womaii than the love of money generally does The obligation un posed by au agreement made many yeurs ago, although upon terms so highly advantageous to the child, and honourable to the father, falls to nothing in comparison with the force of na tural affection. There is too much in this to spring from a sordid principle." The complainant's friend begged that all the circum stances of the case should be considered, and represented that the case would indeed have been very different if the complainant had acted as 99 men out of lOU ilid,and left the child to beggary and wretchedness. The Lord Mayo;.—" has unquestionably done his duty, but if he had done as the ninety-nine do, how would he be described? The case is indeed one of deep distress. 1 feel the force of what has been stated, and must declare that the distress must be very great, not only to the father, but to tile poor creature before ow." The Irishwoman remained silent during this conversation, sod when she did speak, it was in the manner or the south ern inhabitants of her country, which is peculiarly calculated to express strong emotiou, limn being accompanied with the raising up of the eyes in perfor • g the duties of mourning use, the dead, or of bewailing those who are absent for ever berm other causes. " God bless you, Sir," said she, " let me have out one look at the child, and never trouble you or her again." The friend of the complainant, after some conversation with hint, said it was impossible. tie told her she had no feeling fur her child, or she would never desire to see her more. It was enough fur her to know that the child was well sad happy ; and that all that wealth and tenderness cold do, should be dour fur her. The prisoner.—" But still 1 wish to see her. She is nay alibi, and the tether stands alongside of you ; and if he lets me look CM her but once, I'll never ask it again, but go home contented." The complainant declared that she never should see her. The Lord .Nlayur represented to her the propriety of ab staining front pressing the subject, especially as an interview would inevitably cause the utmost distress to the child. Site at length consented to go to Ireland. The complainant immediately engaged one of the officers, by the advice of the Lord Mayor, to attend tier on board the Liverpool packet. QUEEN-SQUARE. Haunah Penson, a poor ili-dressed old woman, apparently about GO years of age, was ou Monday brought to the office in custody of Hetsou, oue of the Hammersmith constables, under the following circumstances:— Witness stated, that prisoner had been delivered to him by one of the watchmen belonging to Hammersmith, and a pa trol of fife Same' parish, who had found her traversing the road between two and three o'clock that morning, and finding her answers to to the questions they asked her very iheohe rein and wild. they thought it their duty to confine her in his watch-boa till he quitted his beat, and he had then brought her to witness's house, and given her into his custody. Wit ness sent for another constable. who lived hard by, and they searched pi isoner, and found tied round her waist, the large cauvass bag now produced, which to their great surprise they found on opening contained a very large sum iu shillings and sixpences. Witness asked her if she had any more property shout her, and she said no! but on smelting further, he found seven sits er tea spoons, also produced, sewed inside (me of her petticoats, and to her other pocket the bunch of keys, produced ; all which he had put into the bag with the silver and !nought to the office fur the Magistrate's disposal. Smith, the other constable, confirmed the foregoing testi mony, The silver being counted amounted to 531. 14s. 6d. Prisoner being asked by the Magistrate (I'. Colipilionn,Esq.) how she came by so much money, answered, that it was her own, and sue had got it at different groom's shops where she boultht ;ti, and where she had given guineas and Bank notes to have silver hi their stead, by winch, in the course of two year., she had got the auove sum. The spoons, she said, were also her tan; she said she lived in Crown-street, .even Dials, with her two sous and her dauzfliier, who with married. She was remanded to give time fur inquiry. Prisoner was on Wednesday brought up for further ex:mania. tion when it appeared from the evidence ofe.Drew, the office. keeper, %vile was ordered to wake the inviu, that be had fount/ every thing had Wait es to rcli'reni..•s quite alt. tect. W. Penson, prisoner's sliest son, stated, that his mother (the prisoner) had left their lodging, No. 7, Crown-street. Seven Dials. OH Saturday morning, in a flighty lit, and h• produced a Morning. Chronicle or Monday, with all advertise. mein ()ire I log a reward to any one who would br unt; her to that h ouse. Ile also deposed, that the hag, silver, and ten simons, where her property. He said she had dre. .41 on the !Friday night that thiet es had broke into the lion .t. ; aml made MI Mien noise as to awake and Marin she whole family. 111 the morning, Miler begging every ime's radon for the noise sht• had made, site went ott unknown to him ur his bra titer and sister. The worthy Magistrate ordered all the money, tea spoons, Etc. to he restored to her, and humanely advised her never to carry so much money about her again. She promised she would Hot, and was dismissed. Died at Dundee, on the 22nd silt. 'Thomas Clark. a labour ing mans, aged 66 yea's, will', by dint of pars!diony and saving had accumulated property to the amount sir hens 3t to 10001. He lived by himself, in a 6115411 garret, situate ;it a filthy lane, called Tynilars Wind. His diet consisted of a little oatmeal mixed with water, which he begged trona Isis isei.sles hours every morning; fur many years be had labour( il under a severe disorder ; but could nut find it in his heat t to lint himself under the care of a surgeon, fearful °filar cost. Driven at last to desperation by the intenseness of his suderings, he, about 12 months ago, sent for Mr. Crichton, who found him lying ' in the most iuchnuent season of the year, bar e ly covered by an old tattered blanket. The furniture of the apartment consisted of about a dozen pairs of old shoes, some old tattered clothes, a ploughshare, a wooden dish and a horn spoon, a pair of scales .and weights, a tub for holding meal, and an old crazy chair.—His disorder having been as. certained, he was informed that a surgical operation would be necessary for his relief; to this lie expressed Ics inmost willingness to undergo ; but when he was 1111 . 01 flied it would be necessary to have b ins removed to a coinfertable room, his eyes died within him ; and be said be must just then coo. finite as he was, until death relieved him. In vain was he told that every thing needful would be provided. He still heroes ered in his determination. Leaving a trifle with hint to procure necessaries, Mr. Crichton descended from the garret and mad.' inquiries of the neighbours concersiing this miserable object ; from whom he received the account abuse narrated. Possessed of this information, lie returned and rated the wretch for his miserable t:.apusitlon ; but all that could be obtained, was a promise to procure seine bed clothes, and to allow the operation to be performed us a room belonging to one of the neighbours, and immediately atter to be conveyed back to his miserable abode. The first iiiii rising :they the operation lie was found quarrelling and abusing the old woman left in charge of him, for her extra , agance in making use of soap to wash the clothes that were occasi onally taken from tinder him ; and he expressed great exulta• !ion when he was given to understand that soap was not ale solutely necessary for the purpose. A dose of castor oil that had been prescribed for him, lie would slot allow to be seat fer, but in its place swallowed a piece olsoap, which he said, would auswer the pm pose equally well, and at much less cost. The cure going on well, he was ordered some beef tea. The parting with ad. every morning to puichase half a pound of meat, was perfect torture. But recollecting a prece of old rusty baron, which lie had formerly picked up. here in his travels, lie thought of the expedient of conversing a piece of it into heel tea, and drank it with seeming artists. Next morniug, however, the old woman, alarmed tos lute conse quences, insisted peremptorily for mewl to pinch:lse fresh meat, at the sante time acquainting hum that a supply or coals was necessary. " The coals censioned already! loyossi. Isle! 'rimy should have served buss tut this whom-! She must have carried oil some of them ! Threepence lOr meat and Itid. for coals ! It's ruination ! She st pack off simne diately ! But before she goes, she must account tut the 2s. received on the day of the opeaatiess!" 'file poor woman being somewhat confused could slut Ming to her recollection the disposal of more than is. lud. It was then pet reedy plain She was robbing his room, and ruining I toy tier ex travagance, and she must go to prison! By this time the garret was lilted with the neighbours, alarmed at his noisy vociferation; and nothing they could say, having pacified him, they sent for Mr. Crichton, who thought it might sue the wisest plan to leave him alone, and let him manage and feed himself in Isis ov n way. By the help of a good constitution he soon recovered his health, but never afterwards could forget the expences lie hail been put to during ins confine ment. The lodine also sit some peoele holding limns.) 01 his in their hands, tended much to mustier the sem:nudes of Isis life; and he was often observed lamenting Ins misfortunes ; fr . ( pseud) saying aloud, • All bankrupts shafts Ise isaliged!" 'there would be sio end to the detail a this poor meatuses miserable eccentricities. tie malt into a siesglitomo's coons three days previous ri his dealii, to warm I 1111 l selt, ,is acing a hitter cold slay) before ascending to his garret, on ill next slay he was found lying almost still vs Silt culd, and unable to move Mussed—me bedclothes, which lie had made to provide himself with last year, lyiug folded up Its a turner, as he had not the Swart to use them. lie lay tu slits stater till he lest the use of his faculties, and expired s .I 1 a suust de plorable condition. Ilis only surviving sister, a pour obi woman, living somewhere in Strathmore, inherits all Ins ; ru_ petty. ..; A Tew evenings since, as Mr. Bray, shoemaker, of Mince's street, Drury.laue, was coming down George -street, Boni n. friend's house in 'fottcodiam-cottit-road, lie was ac4-44.4(•41 at the Black Horse public-house by •ii elderly man, w Uu earb of a sailor, who asked him what it was o'clock. Mi. Bray pat his band to his fob to get Ins watch, and at Bic s,.mllr mo ment was knocked down from behind. Two Icltows then,, alter taking his watch and rifling his pockets of Wine silver, ran away. MEHDI:II AND PIRACY IN THE INDIAN SEAS.—The ship. IVabash, Capt. Grant, of Baltimore, arrived in Macao roads (Can ton liver,) from Smyrna, on the 18th of May last. 'the captain pro ceeded to Canton, to inquire the markets, leaving the two mates. and 13 others, to take cave of the vessel. (In the 24th she was boarded by the crew of a I.:Milton boat, to the number ot from 25 to 30, under pretence of putting it pilot on hoard. After amusing the officers until dark, they commenced an attack on thesis tom toe peo ple with long knives; killed Mr. Hall, the tint mate, :11.11 three seamen, out right; and mortally or badly ‘vountlial the °tiler mate, and two 411 the seamen ; and cotopelled two inners tooys) to Jump overboard—one of which, idler having been seven hour. in the water, was savetL The surviving crew reticatetl to the forecastle ; but were compdled. by threats to burn the vessel. to Collie Ull deck. and di,. C 101.4.! where the money was slowed away. The Lathoon, then secur ed about 10,000 dollars in specie, 33 cilesus of opium, :aid other property, the whole amounting to n...s.rty 50,esso dotlais. At.. Cush. mg, and other American residents in Canton, were taking measures to obtain restitution, front the Chinese government, for this tobbuy their waters btu chic success was doubted.