The National Register.
London, England, 1818-01-11 00:00:00

JAN. 11.

AMERICAN SEA SERPENT.

[FROM THE JOURNAL OF sCIENCEs AND TILE ARTS.)
" In the month of August 1817, it bras currently reported
on various authoritie, that an animal of very singular appear-
ance had been recently and repeatedly seen in the harbour of
Gloucester, Cape Ann, about thirty miles distant from Boston.
It was said to resemble a serpent in its general form and
motions, to be of immense size, and to move with wonderful
rapidity; to appear on the surface of the water only in calm
and bright weather ; and to seem jointed, or like a number of
buoys or ea•ks following each othor in a line.
" In ronsequence of these reports, at a meeting of the Lin-
moan Society of New England, holden at Boston on the 18th
day of August, the Hon. John Davis, Jacob Bigelow, M. D.
and Francis C. Gray, Esq. were appointed u Committee to
collect evidence with regard to the existence and appearance
of any such animal, and have 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 for the follow.
ing extract from the evidence, which however will give our
readers, some notion of his aspect and behaviour.
&R,--You request a detailed account of my observations
relative to the serpent. I saw him on the 14th ultimo, and
when nearest, I judged him to be about two hundred and fifty
yards from me. At that distance I judged hint (in the largest
part) about the size of a halt' barrel, gradually tapering to.
wards the two extremes. Twice I saw him with a glass,
only for a short time, and at other times, with the naked eye,
for nearly half an hour. His colour appeared nearly black--
ibis motion was vertical. When he moved on the surface of
the water, the track in his rear was visible, for at least half a
rune.

" His velocity, whom moving on the surface of the water, I
judged was at the rate of a 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. When moving under water, you could often trace him
by the motion of the water, on the surface, and from this Mr.
eurnstance, I conclude lie did not swim deep. He apparently
wool as straight through the water, as you could draw a line.
♦Vhen he changed his course, it diminished his velocity but
little—the two extremes that were visible appeared rapidly
moving in opposite directions, and when they came
they appeared not more than a yard apart. With a glas-, I
could not take in, at one view, the two extremcs of the *M-
enai, that were visible. I have looked at a vessel at about the
same dines/et, and could distinctly see forty five feet. If he
should lie taken, I have no doubt that his length will
be found one hundred feet long. When I saw him I
was standing on an eminence, ou the seashore, elevated about
thirty fee/ above the surface of the water, and the sea was
smooth.

" If I saw his head, I could not distinguish it from his body,
though there were seafaring men near me, who said that they
could distinctly see his head. I believe they spoke truth ; but
net having been much accustomed to look through a glass, I
was not so furl unate.

•
" I never saw more than seven or eight distinct portions of
hint above the water, at any we time,asid be appeared rough;
though i supposed this appeasatice was produced by his mo-
tion. When he disappeared Ire apparently souk directly
down like a rock.

" Capt. Beach has been is Boston, fora week past, and I
am informed that he is still there. AN engraving from his
drawing of the serpent has been, or is now, making in Bos-
ton ; but I have not been able to ascertain bow ter his draw-
ing is thought a correct representation.
" Itespectfully, Sir,
"your must obedient,
" LONSON NASH."
" Monourebk John Davis."

" I, William B. Pearson of Gloucester, in the County of
WAsex,nierchant, depose anti say : That 1 have,several times,
seen a strange marine animal, that I believe to be a serpeut, of
veal size. I have had a good view of him only once, and
this was on the 18th of August, A. D. 1817. I was in a sail
boat, and when off Webber's cove (so called) in the harbour
of said Gloucester, I saw something coming out of the cove ;
ore hove to. not doubting but that it was the same creature
-that had been seen several times in the harbour, and had ex-
cited
James I'. Collins was the only person with me. The serpent
passed out under the stern of our boat, toward!, Tee Youvid
island ; then he stood in towards us again, and crossed our
how. We immediately exclaimed, here is the snake?' From
what I saw of him, I should say that he was nothing short of
'event:, feet in length. I distinctly saw bunches on his back,
and once he raised his head ant of the water. The top of his
head appeared flat, and was raised seven or eight inches
above the surface of the water. He passed by the bow of the
boat, at about thirty yards distance. His colour was a dark
brown. I 3.1 W him at this time about two minutes. His mo-
tion was vertical. His velocity at this time was not great,
though at times, I have seen him move with great velocity, I
should say at the rate of a mile in three minutes, and perhaps'
faster. His size I judged to be about the size of a half bar-
rel. I saw Mr. Gaffney tire at him, at about the distance of
Shirty yards. I thought he bit him, and afterwards lie ap-
peared more shy. He turned very short, and appeared as
limber and active as the eel, when compared to 116 size. The
form of the curve when he turned in the water, resembled a
staple; his head seemed to approach towards his body, fur
some feet; then his head and tail appeared moving rapidly,
in oppusite directions, and when his head and tail were on
parallel lines, they appeared not more than two or three yards
apart.
" At what time in the day was this ?-11etwcen the hours of
five and sk, in the afternoon. _ . _

•
" HOW many distinct 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 dark and
oliarp.
" How did its tail terminate ?—I had not a very distinct
view of his tail ; I saw no hunches towards, what I thought
the cud of his tail, and I believe there were none.
" WILLIAM B. PEARSON."

A few days since, as a man at the Abercrombie Inn, Aran-
del, was making some detonating cracktro I'm sale, lie in-
cautiously let fah some of the mixture (firlruinating silver),
about the quantity of the size of a pea, when another maw sc.
eidently stepping on it, it exploded, and tore off three of his
toes, and 'drivel ed his shoe to fragments.
A few days since, .as the daughter of J. Wellstood, of
Linlemore, near Oxford, about six years of age was standing
by the tire, in the house of a neighbour, a cinder Hew trom
tl.e grate on her clothes, which immediately took fire,
by which she was ao theadfully burnt that tier life is de-
spaired of.