Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-09-06
SEA SERPENT Ar HALIFAX.

tude, that we are aware every thin
corroborative of simila T. phenomenon
is surrounded by an air OF ridicule am
may be regarded as a tale ofsome WAC
trumpeG up for the mere purpose o
quilting the public. A repo.t has beer
going about the town for this sometime
back, that an animal Of the serpent spe.
cies had been actually seen in our har
Dor; but upon mentioning the report to
others, and making inquiry as to its au.
thenticity, we were generally greeted
with an i%ncredulous smile, accompa.
MED with that knowing look, which a
man would put on when he meant to
tell you "that he was not quite such a
fool as you had taken hin, to be-" On
this account we were willing to let the
report die like every nine days wonder.
but the appearance was yesterday relat-
ed to US by a eyewitness, with such
~dislinctness, that we took some pains to
investigate the business thoroughly, and
nov state it as our honest belief, that a
large Sea Serpent has been actually
seen in this harbor. II seems to Lave
been first discovered on the afternoon of
Friday the 18th inst. About 5 O'Clock
in the afternoon, a young gentleman of
the town, accompanied by some ladies,
happened to be riding past the wharf
at MIR. Goreham's tanpit, on the basin,
when their attention was arrested by
the appearance of a black object on the
surface Of the water. The young eer.
tleman struck with the singuIarity of
the sight, watched it narrowly, when
having seen it impel itself forward,
without showing fins and by a rigging
motion Of the body, he came to the con.
~clusion that it could be no other animal
but a sea serpent. His frs. impression
was confirmed by what he afterwards
observed. The animal raised its head
apparently about three feet from the
water; and then dipping it down, the
after part Of the body raised a coil
which warped itself along to the tail,
and this made it to be supposed that
its extreme length was at least 60 #.
Its colour appeared TO be black, and it
appeared to be in circumference about
the size of 4 large log. From the wharf
it was scarcely 60 yards distant, SO that
there was a good opportunity for the
view; but as it did not remain above
the water longer than five minutes, no
more accurate observations than above
detailed were then made. The infor-
nation we have had from the young
gentleman, whose character, whose ed
~ucation and scientific attainments rem
der it impossible that he could either
be deceived or w%ilfully misrepresent
the facts. Besides, it was seer by the
by Mr.. Goreham, and by his ia
and servants; and so DESTROYS were
we to make u statements authentic,
that we went ~ the basin last night,
and had pointed out by MI. Goreham
the very spot in which the animal was
seen.
The story, however, receives addi-
tional confirmation from other circum-
stances. Mr.. William Barry, of this
was returning from prospect in
a whaling boat upon the same evening,
and had reached within York Redoubt
about shutdown. He was extremely UNI
well at the time, and lay stretched in
the stern upon a bed, when his curio.
sity was strongly excited by the other
persons in the boat occasionally ceas-
ing to row, and observing the motions
of a strange animal, which was near
them. Exerting all his strength, he
raised himself up, and there had a dis
tinct view of this monster; and from
its appearance, and comparing it in
his mind with the descriptions Of the
serpent he remembered to have read,
he at the same time land be it recol-
without having heard, without
being in a situation where he could
have heard n whisper of its being
seen in the Basin felt satisfied that it
was a Sea Serpent. Ii moved round
the boat in a sweeping and circular d.
rection, and was at n time SC near as
TO be within gun shot. He has drawn
a sketch of its path and appearance,
which he was kind enough TO show US.
He saw the head distinctly, and at one
time eight coils of the body above wa
ter, each about a yard in length and
with the same space intervening be-
tween, so that he feels assured that its
length must be at least 60 feet. 1t
moved through the water with great
rapidity, and left a large troubled wake.
1t showed no fins-a remark which the
fishermen in the boat observed and
made. 1t was of a dark, dingy color,
and did not glis,en; but this may be
attributed to the sun having gone down
and there being no vivid light to cause
reflection.
From all these facts, and the respec-
liability OF the testimony, no reasonable
can doubt that a Serpent, or an
animal resembling it, has been seem