Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1817-09-16
From The .rs,c Fork Ersning Post.

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From The .Nsp Fork Erening Post.
THE WONDERFUL SEA sERFEST.
In addition to the info nation which
the appearance Of the sea serpent IN inc
waters of New-'.ngiand has lately orot
to light, we are enabled, by the p''h"ne''
of Dr.. MitchiIl, TO add the following IN
tcresting particulars for fhe amusement
of our readers:
Copy of a letter addressed 20 DR.. .Hitcft'h
bv our late consul at Bordeaux, no'c
in she treasury department. YIN. Lee,
Esquire.
Washington, Sept. 2, 1917
GMY DEAN SIR,-Ihe description
given in our newspapers OF sea serpent,
lately seen tor several days 10 and about
Cape Ann harbor, has Brought TO my re-
collection one of this species.
On a passage made from Quebec,
in 1887, in a schooner OF about eight!s
tons burthen, while standing in for the
Gut Of C; nso, the island ct Cape Breton
being about four leagues distant, one Of
the crew cried out /" a shOal ahead p
The helm was Instantly put down to tack
ship, when, to our great astonishmen',
this shoal, as we thought it to be, moved
oft, and as it passed athwart the bow OF
our vessel, we discovered it to be an e.
normous sea serpent, foui times, at least,
rs long a. the schooner. Its back was OF
dark green color, forming above the
water a number Of little hillscks, ressm-
bling a chain Of hug,heads. was then
but . lad, and being much terrified, ran
below until the monster was al some dis.
lance from Us. did not see his head
distinctly; but those who did, after !
had hid myself in the cabin, said it was
as large as the small bUat of the schooner.
/ ! recoilect the tremendous ripple and
noise ne made in the water, as he vent
Of from us, which compared at the tine
to that occa,ioned by The launching Of a
! ship.
My venerable friend, Mr.. -, Of
your city, was passenger with me at
|. the time. He will corroborate this state
ment, and probably furnish you with a
better description OF this monster; for /
well recoliect his taking his stand at the
bow Of the vessel, with g eat courage. to
examine il, while the other passengers
were intent only on their own safety
" IT Halifax, aud on my return 20
Boston, when frequently describing this
monster, l was laughed at SO lm,node-
rate!y that found il necessary to remai''
silent Oh the sutjeci. to escape the imFu-
tation of using avcller's priv.lcge oi
dea,Bg in the marvellous
In addition to the above, the following
facts are verbally communicated BY he
doctor himself:
"On the evening Of September 9 capt.
James Riley was at my house, and SAID
that he knew capt, Folger, OF Nantucket,
who was occupied on whaling s"yage
IN .he southern Atlantic Ocean about %
Yeas ago. On the c;uize he saw an ami
| NAL Vt uncommon size floating on tn" sea,
oil the coas, OF Brazil. Captain Y. then
commanded a very large French built
ship, and the floating carcase was lour az
FIVE timcs as long as his vessel. 1t at
,ractea TIE spcEmaceti whales, who came
| to feed upon it, and had eaten away treat
portions Of tue flesh. He visited the huge
body OF the creature, aud satisfied himself
! that It was all enormous craken. He
| hauled all his beats upon It, and his men
assembled il and lived upon it as if it had
been a rock or island. They remained
on it aad near it fur the purpose OF killing
the whales that came TO devour H.. In
this they we're SO successful, that by con.
,inuing theie they took whales eaVush to
load tieir vessel and complete her cargo,
TIL back OF the craken was high and dry
enough for them to inhabit temporarily
and to iook out for their game. And
when from this puint OF observation they
dncove. ed a whale coming to make q
meal, hey launched their boats from the
top Of the dead crakeD, and made an easy
prey VI him. The substance Of the moi.
stcr's body was sk,nn,, inemb' anoss ant
gela;lnuus, and destitute OF ,he far aid
! biubher for which the whale is 50 re-
markable."
NEw-YoRK, Sept. L.
ppou pur SplNIsu MAIN