Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-06-22

had SO fair a view OF the above mentioned
animal a few DAYS since. The Salem paper
introduces the afhdavts with the following
remarks: TBlsion Pat.
Our southern Brethren have made thum.
selves merry At the crednlity of the Yankees,
IN the case of The Sea Serpent which SO fire.
quenfiy presented himself 10 the view ut thou
sands, the summer before last (: & the corrusca-
tons ot dramatic wit, under the title OF e Ths
Sea Srrpent, o. Gloucester Hear" have drawn
laundering appiauscs from crowded theatres.
Still people are not to be entirely laughed ont
OF their senses /; and IL human testimony is ever
to he aaihitted on the cub, ect of any phenon,e
non IN nature, we scarcely know OF one III
which II has been more ample than Ia this, Ms
recorded in the journals OF the day, when the
occasions arose. We have now further evil
dence To add TO the mass already before the
public in regard TO the existence OF This
strange creature. Ii will be recollectrd, that
ms rs-appearancc in our bay, WAS announced
last week IN the Boston Gazette, and repeated
10y us; he has been seen again, and more lri-
reiysurveyed from another ,e,Sel, the master
aud mate OF which have given their respective
accounts under the solemn sanction OF their
oaths-as follows:
I,HAwkINs WHEELER. Of Fairfield, in the
county of Fairfield aud State of Connecticut,
mariner, commander of the sloop Concord, Of
said Fairfield, in her l.ie passage from New
YORK 10 Salem, in the county ct Essex aud
Commonwealth OF Massachusetts, on oath de-
clare, thai during the said passage from New
York To salem, To wit, on Monday, the 9th day
OF June inst. AT about O'clock in the morning.
the slo0p being, as near as could Judge, Is
miles y. w. of Race Point, aud WITHIN sight OF
Cape Ann, was al the helm of the sloop and
saw, directly ahead (tlie course of The vessel
being n. W. something that resembed a
Snake, about 100 yards distant from the soop,
moving in y. w. direction. The aui,nai
moved in that direction till lie had passed
| sthwart the course of the sloop aud appeared
directly over the weather bow, when he alter.
ell his course to ). F.. At this time he had
been visible about minutes, when he sunk
and In about u or minutes after, appeared
\ again directly over the weather quarter.
| aboht the same distance from the sloop-he
| continued IN that course about } or minutes,
when he sunk again, aud saw him no more.
tis mnfiou was AT Tic rate OF about miles an
| hour when nc passed ahead but after he APP
peared again on the quarter, hi, motion wa,
| less rapid. To the best of my Judgment he
| was NOT more tran 100 yards from the vessel
| the weather was good aud ciear-it was almost
l calm with light air of wind from the ). the
vessel was going about2 knots-I had a fair
| and distinct view Of the creature, and from
ms appearance am satisfied that il of the
| serpent KIND. The creature was entirely
| black the head, which perfectly resembled a
snakes, WAS elevated from 4 To 7 feet above
the surface of the water, and his back appear
/ ed to be composed Of punches or humps, ap.
paTentiy about as large or little larger than
haif barrel; think saw as many ten or
| twelve, but did not count them; l consider ed
them IN be caused by tie unduiatory motion
OF the animal-the tail was not visible. but
| seen, was, should judge, so feet. The first
| view had Of him appeared like string OF
empty barrels tied together, rising over what
niue swell Of the sea there was. What mo-
ton could discern in the body of the auimal
was undnlatory, but he evidently moved his
tan under water. aud the rippfes produced
by II, indicated a sweeping motion, making a
wave as large as that made by the sloop.
HAWKINS WHEELER.
ESSEX, as. June 9th, lSl9.-Then Hawkins
wheeler personally appeared aud made oath
ihat tue foregoing affidavit by him subscribed,
contains tho truth, the whole truth, and no
thisg but the truth. Before me,
THEODORE EAMS, Jus. Peace.
l,GERsHAM IIENNETr, OF Fairfield, in the
county of Fairfield. and state of Connecticut,
mariner, on oath declare, that WAS mate OF
Inc so0p Concord, Hawkins Wheeler, master,
III her late passage from New York to Salem,
Mass. that on Monday, the 9th day of June
i4st: at O'Clock in the morning, I was on the
Geek OF the sloop, sitting sn the hatches-the
sessei was steering n. w and was then about
rs miles from Race Pont-The mar at the
helm made an Ouicry, and said there was
something alongside that he wanted me TO
TOOK at l looked and saw something on the
larpnardsIde OF The vessel, about IL rods, GER
family not exceeding Ii, from the vessel, that
re- ;nbted aserpentO or snake. i immedi-
ately arose and went to the side of the vessel
and took position on the rough tree, holding
on By the shrouds l there SAW serpent of nm
enormous size and uncommon ppearance upou
the water his head WAS about the length of
the anchor stock above the s,ufnce OF the wa
ter, viz. abont feet. looked at the. anchor
stock az the true aud formed my opinion bV
comparing the two sbjects.-The weather was
very clear aud good, and the water almost
caIn; and had, think, as good view Of
the animal as it had been within , rod. of
him. The color OF the animal throughout as
far as could be seen, vas black and tie sur
race appeared 10 be smooth without scales
his head Was about - long az a horses aud
was proper snakes beadrthcre was n de-
gree of fiatness with slight hollow on the top
ofhis head-the eyes were prominent, and
stood out considerably from the surface re-
sembling in that respect the eyes OF a toad, and
were nearer TO tile mouth of the animal iilan
10 IT,; back OF the bead. had full view Of
hIH Tor or + minutes. He was moving ia
tile same direction with the sloop, aud abont
as fast. The back was composed Of punches
about the size of aonr barrel, and were appa-
rently about feet aPdrt-tbey appeared
10 be hNed, but might be oCcasIOned by the
motion OF the animal aud looked like a string
OF casks or barrels tied tOgeiher-the tail was
not visible, bnt tile part which could be seen
was, should Judge, 80 feet III leBgth-ihe mo-
ton OF the punches was unduatOry ; but the
wake OF his tail, which he evidently nOvs ed un-
der water, showed horizontal or sweeping
motion, producIHga wax a. large a. the vessel
made. lie tnrned hIs head two or three times
slowly round, toward aud from the vessel. az
II taking view OF some object on board. 4
went mp Oh the rigging, tor the purpose of
taxing view of him from above bni before
had reached my station, he sunk below the
surface Of The wafer, aud did not appear a.
gam.
GERsHAM BENNETT.
Essex, SIS. june 9th, ISI9.-1heu Gershan
Bennett personally appeared aud made oath
that the foregoing aifidaVitby him subscribed,
cOnlainSthe truth. the whole truth, aud no
thing but the trHili. Before me,
THEODORE EAMS, JUS. Peace.
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