Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-09-12

preventative the Ihunny, IL MAY p1 W"
10 examine how far the Pretenslons OF 'he
latter give him right to be consitereda
legitimate connection Of The former.
The Thunny (scsmber Thynnus) IS
found in almost all seas, and particularly a
bounds in the Mediterranean, II IS ex-
ceed;nelv yoracious feeding upon behring's
and other small fish. II frequents The
shores in the spawning season, swimming
in vast shoals in great swiitness, accompa-
MED by Kissing noise. They are said to
form in swimming regular para'ie'ogram.
The size of the Thunny is usually from
to 10 feet in length, with the back and bel
ly considerably convex.
From the account it does not seem pro-
babIe that single fish Of this kind could
produce, by any means, appearances Ike
those ascribed to the sea serpent. Yet, Is
possible that shoal of them, especially 1t
swimming in row with their heads above
water. might represent very well the con-
tinuous lunches of the serpent. II swim
ming in different directions, they would
represent the mode of turning OF the SER
pent. and as for his sinking like rock. it
only requires that every fish in the tram
should take care of himself.
Thus far the correspondence Of the two
appears specious. But as those OF us who
have never seen the one or the other, are
obliged to make IN our opinions from the
representations of those who have been
more fortunate as spectators. 1t is fair that
we should take into view the whole OF the
evidence before we make conclusions.
Every one allows that The phenomenon
in Cape Ann harbor last summer, had a
head. This was carried several feet a
bove water it was seen by many, accu-
rately described hv number, and actually
! fred at, from The distance of about a rod.
Now a feature Of this kind could not well
belong to train of separate animals, I'M
less one travelled in the air and the rest in
the water--Again the Gloucester Serpent
was often seen at rest as well as in mo-
ton, with great length of hack uncover
ed by the water. This was repeatedly de-
scrihed as being 40or so feet in length,
not only bv the spectators at Cape Ann,
but JUDGE Hertell and others of New York {,
who reported his appearance in Long Is
land Sound.
The appearance Of shoals Of the Thun-
nv. is said TO be thing by no means I'M
frequent. II is hardly probable that in a
maritime town like Gloucester, a great
portion ofwhose inhabitants are sailors, ia
miliar with every sea, any common marine
phenomena should have passed as new.
The singular coincidence in appearance
of the small Serpent taken last year at
Cape Ann, is certainly an evidence not TO
he neglected in forming our conclusions on
this hitherto obscure subject This ami
NAL has been pronounced by Culver, the
celebrated French naturalist, to be Ser
pent SUI generis specifically distinct from
all hitherto described. The circumstance
that no other of The kind has been satisfac-
torily examined renders it probable that its
residence is in the water, where it eludes
the detection of the naturalist. II is the
only species of which single individual
only has been submitted to close inspec.
ton. The animal cast ashore at Strous-
sa and described in the Werneriaa tram
sactions, was nearly equal in length 10 our
supposed Sea Serpent, yet none other Of
his species has been seen before or since.
NJ.
In Hans Egede's account of Greenland,
lately published, we find description OF a
Sea Monster, worth regiment like the
Cape Ann Snake, even taking the latter to
be according to the most formidable des-
cription of him. After speaking of three
sorts Of sea animals mentioned in Tormo-
der's History Of Greenland, he says-'but
none Of them have been seen by us, or any
of our time, that ever could hear, save
that most dreadful monster, that showed it.
sell upon the surface of the water in the
year 1884, of our new colony in 6I".-
This monster was of so huge size, that
coming out Of the water, its head reached
SO high as the mast head its body was as
bulky as the ship, and three or four tunes
as long. 1t had a long pointed snout, and
spouted like whae-fsh great broad
paws, and the body seemed covered with
she'll work its skin very rugged and I'M
even. The under part OF IFS body was sha-