Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-07-15
-TFrom the Nsu Pork .ameriean. !

From the Nen Fork .american.
The SEA SERPENT seems to have great pre-.
objection for the fashionable watering places
After making Naaant his place Of summer resort
for the last few years, il appears BY correspon-
dent Of the Journal Of Commerce Of this morning
that he has lately been whisking his tail in the
surf Of Long Branch; and it is said. that among
the attractions Of The new Hotel now "in erec-
ton" at Rockaway, is to be curiously contriv-
cd verandsh towards the sea, for the especial pur
purpose Of watching the gambols Of his snakeship.
Having brought his family with him upon this Vi.
sit, the amiable traveller may be expected to re.
main for some time, and give US all more or less
IN opportunity of eultivatng their interesting &C
quaintanee. Should one Of the animals be caught,
alive,-as we see no reason why they should not,
a. the row-boat, which was within twenty feet Of
the largest, might, with some adr0itness, have
thrown coil OF rope over bis head, and let the
steamboat at hand tow him ashore, The might be
lodged to advantage in the Corporation Reser.
voir, at the head Of Broadway; Or kept, If unru.
ly, 10 the admirable Eelcase which Mr.. Holt has
provided for such attenuated figures, when need.
ing q straight Jacket In the mean time, as the
Soc Ormen, as the Norwegans call it, is likely
10 succeed Black Hawk as the lion Of the day, it
may be well 10 take retrospective glance at his
biography, which is thus given in the Boston
Mercantile Journal, edited by Mr. Thatcher, of
some literary celebrity:
The earliest account of an animal Of this gene
raj description is furnished by Participation, Bi.
shop Of Bergen in Norway, and author Of an old
Natural History, in the FIRST editions Of which is
a picture Of the serpent. This gives him name
--an appearance doubtless caused by his rapid
motion through the water. He says, it lay on
the water, when it was calm; aud when it NOV.
al If tha har IN ho in tho i'm
Of the head. The color was dark brown, varie-
gated with light spots or streaks. The animal
appeared regularly many years Of the Manor Of
Nordland. in July and .Aug1si, where all the lh-
habitants were Familiarity acquainted with him,
though the Bishop doubted the whole story for q
long time. He represents the length to have
been 600 feet, and the size that OF two hOgsheads
a statement which furnishes rather curious food
for discussion, 1t was al least an immense ex-
aggeration Of tire ignorant peasants and fisher
men.
The Bishop also cites letter, dated 1851, from
a Captain in the Swedish Navy. De Ferry, relat-
ing to snake seen by him near Moline, on calm
hot day in August. 1746 He fired at it, on
which it Immediately sunk. Observing the wa.
ter to be red, he supposed he had wounded 1T
The head, he relates. was like that OF horse
and Of a grayish col0r--the mouth was quite
black aud very large. He also mentions the
bright name. The eyes were black, and there
were seven or eight thick folds, about six feet
distance from one another. This letter was
sworn to before the Bergen magistrates.
In 1904, Allen Bradford, ESQ. then Of Maine,
addressed a letter to ]. Q. Adams, then Secreta.
~ Of the American Academy, transmitting doc
uments to show that large sea serpent had been
seen in and about Penobscot Bay. The Acads-
my laid them aside, and they first appeared in
Siliiman's Journal, in 1890. One was letter
from the Rev. Mr.. Cummings of Sullivan, Maine,
dated August 1905, and another was dat.
ed August 1904. The animal was seen by
Mr.. Cummings, his wife, daughter, and auo-
ther lady, as they were on their passage to Bel
fast, between Cape Rosoi and Long Island. 1t
was in the month of July; the SEA was calm; there
was very little wind; and the first appearance Of
the Serpent was near Long Island. Mr.. C. sup
posed it to be large shoal Of fish, with seal at
one end of il; but he wondered the seal should
rise our of the ,Cater so much higher than usual;
as he drew near, they discovered the whole ap-
pearauce to be one animal in the form OF Ser
pent He had noffhe horizontal, but an ascend
ing and descending serpeaiine motion. This &C.
count also refers to the description given BY
other persons of similar animals.
A letter Of March, 1871, from Capt. Little. Of
our navy, u MT. DTdutOtus states tHdt III Way
1880, as he was lying in Broad Bay (Penobscot, J
in public armed ship, he discovered at sunrise
large Serpent, coming down the bay on the sur
face Of the water. The cutter was manned and
armed; he went himself in the boat; and when
within 100 feet Of the Serpent, the marines were
ordered to FIRE on him; but before they could
make ready, be plunged into the water. He
was not less than As to so feet long; the largest
diameter Of his body was supposed to be IS 10.
ches; and his head, nearly the size Of that Of q
man. he carried four or five feet oat Of water
He were every appearance Of a Black Snake
He was afterwards pursued. but they never came
nearer to him than quarter Of mile. A Mr..
Joseph Kent, Of Mansfield, SAYS Capt. Little,
cav like animal at the same place 10 the year
1871, which was longer and larger than the
main boom Of his sloop, Of IS tons. He obser.
we'd him within ten or twelve yards Of his vessel.
The declaration Of Eleazar Crabtree is then
given. ~ho lived at Fox Island, in the Bay of
h. in md H..