Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1817-08-26

this : huge and hideous' monster, ws,.
considered % marvellous, ;hat its very 80.
tgnce is doubted by the editors 81 The :,
encyclopedias. After reciling the descripte.
given BY Guthrie of us enormous bulk, thss
observe Notwithstanding the belief &
Guthrie and the testimony which he bfoas
ces, we cannot help doubling Of the sxir.
ence of The Sea Serpent Its bulk Is -
10 be % dispropOi tionate to ali The knoa.
animals of our globe that il requires me-.
than ordinary evidence 70 render il ca
BILE"
Extrao rdina'y accounts Of land sernsn..
however, have been credited, from. the -.
liest ages and the same writer's CHE i.
following facts, as worthy Of belief:
f" We are told that while ReguIus led i.
army along the banks of the river Baer.a.
in Africa, on enormous serpent disputsdk.
passage over. We are assured By PIN
that it was 100 feet long, aud that il had
destroyed many Of the army. Al last hox.
ever the baIteting engines vera brought !.
gainst il and these assaling il at distance
i was soon destroyed It's spoils were ca,.
ri=d to Rome and an ovation decteed lor
his success The skin was kept for several
years after in tie capital, and Pliny saws h
saw it there"
Since the appearance Of the prodigioa,
Snake at Cape Ann, a number Of circum.
stances which had previously occurred hare
been rscollected, which coupled with The
recent facts respecting it, place the exis-
tence Of this remarkable animal Beyond the
reach of further dispute. About twenty
years ago a paper was transmitted TO the
American Academy OF arts and sciences in
Boston, communicating some intelligence
respecting the appearance OF monster Of
this kind in Penobscot Bay Clergyman
and his daughter were crossing the Bay in
d boat, and such snake made his appear.
ance and swan towards them-the lady
tainted-the father was frightened-but the
animal did them no injury. The dsscri0-
ion Of the phenomenon was considered 50
remarkable, as 10 be incredible, and the a.
cademy refused 10 publish it. A search FOR
the rejected paper is now making, in tbs
hope that il will throw some light upon The
question.
Capt George Little,who afterwards com.
msnaed the u. s. Frgate Boston, is recol.
lected to have described similar creature,
which appeared in the same bay during the
war Of the revolution He was sent out in
boat to examine il, but The snake disap.
peared before he could approach Sufficient.
y near to make an attack. The. papers
during The present week have republished
letter from Capt Crabtree dated 1898,
giving an account Of a serpeat which he
saw near Mount Desert in the month Of
June of that year. Its head was elevated 6
or feet,-larger than barrel and some
what resembled that of a horses-the body
Of about the same circumference was of a
dark brown colour and appeared to be from
SIS to so feet long. Ii Showed no DISPOSE
ton TO. modest them and remained near an
hour within view ofthe vessel. It's eyes
were black and piercing, and its motion
was rapid Verbal information has been
communicated by other individuals Of an
other serpent similar in its appearance and
character which has formerly been oLserv-
cd on this coast,
1 his testimony assists US, in giving cred
It 10 The information received from Cape
Ann the earliest account which the inhab.
itants of Gloucester received oftheir Snake
visiter was from the master of coas,ing
vessel. he went on shore and mentioned,
that ahorfid monster wasdiscoyered by him,
with his head round The bogO and appearing
to be resting upon the cabIe--his body tx.
tending along the sides and passing beyond
the stern of The vessel, which measured a.
bout 80 or go tons. So little belief was a.
warded to the story, that the master was
glad to seek refuge from derision. on board
his sloop.
subsequent account however, given By
a credible person, who lives upon an ex.
treme point of the harbour, excited the Gu.
riosity, though it was no; calculated to re-
move the doubts Of the inhabitants. He
described the monster as eleys;ing his head
feet from the surface of the water-dash.
ing it majestcly about him, and moving
through 1t with astonishing and terrific "a
pidity.
A few days afterwards doubt gave way to
certainly" what yesterday was fact to dsF
y doctrine" and The people Of GloucesisE
nave seen The monster themselves. 1ss
following description from all the informs
uon which could beIobtained 1T the places
as accurate as the circumstances would &C.
mt, and y not cohtradicted By any tessimo
ny OF less e-rtraordtHayy character.
lie seldom swirns with bis head elevated
butt has been PARTIAL, seen by some per