The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-07-17

" I'll drown more sailors than the mermaid SHALL
Shakespeare
" Did sense persuade Ulysses not to hear
The Mermaid's songs, which so his men did please
That they were all persuaded through the ear
Toquit the ship, and leap into the seas !"
+" Thou remcmbercs


Thou semcmberost,
Since once ! set upon rromontory
And heard a MERMAID on a Dolphn's back
Uttering such dulcet and Harmonious breath,
That the rude sea grew civil ut her song"
Shakespeare.
However naturalss may doubt Of the reality of Mcr-
nan Nermaids if may believe particular writers
here testimony enough TO establish it, Chambers.
Our readers will recocct that few weeks since
We published letter from correspondent in Mont
;omery, Alabama, giving description of ner-
maid which he had seen there in possession Of an
English gentleman, who had brought it from the
Felee Islands. young artist at the south has had
peep this strange animal, and has us per-
feet drawing of it, from which we have had the
above engraving executed for the qualification of
our readers. The artist thai the drawing
perfectly correct, with the exception of the hair
which he has taken the liberty to make little
longer than the original would warrant.
The Mermaid has long been considered by many
as fabulous animal but naturalists have de-
cared that there is too much evidence of the ex-
lstencc OF these animals TO warrant them in pro-
nouncing the mermaid to be a mere creature of
fancy.
We discover in the ourang oulang the connecting
link between the human and animal race. The fly
ing squirrel or bat is the link between birds and
quadrupeds the plapus, has the body of seal and
the wsbbsd feet and bill of the duck; the flying fish
connects the bird and scaly inhabltan, OF the deep
and why may not suppose that there is also con
Meeting link between firth and the human species!
Had not fossil remains of the great Mastedon
been discovered, few would be found at the pre-
sent day WHO would believe that such an animal
had ever existed. We have seen many sea captains
and sailors, whose honesty could not be questioned.
who would take their bible oath that they have
seen among the rocks Of barren islands, animals
with body and head resembling IA woman aud
the lower extremity bearing the scales, fins and
tail of fish. Doubtless there are twenty such men
now in this port.
When the animal of which the above is picture,
shall arrive here, we hope our citizens and the pro-
fessors of natural history especially, will have an
opportunity oftesting this question in such manner
as to put the subject forever hereafter to rest We
learn that the gentleman who owns this animal is
about taking it TO London present to the British
Lyceum of Natural History
With regard TO the real fabulous existence of
this animal, we find that in the year lS7, Laray
informs us, such monster was fished up on the
coast OF Suffolk and kept by the governor for SIX
months. 1t bore near conformity with man,
that nothing seemed wantingto it but speech. One
day 1t took the opportunity OF making its escape,
plunging into the sea, was never more heard Of
In the year 1870, after a huge tempest, which
broke down the dikes in Holland, and made way
c.,
town of Edam, in West Friesland, going in boat
TO milk their cows, perceived mermaid embarrass-
ed in the mud, with very little water. They took it
into their boat and brought it with them to Edam
1t fedlike one of them, but could never be brought
to offer at speech. Some time afterwards it was
brought to lIerem, where # lived for some years.
though still showing inclination to the water
Another creature Of the same species caught
in the Baltic, In 1881, and sent to Sgismond, king
OF Poland, with whom it lived three days, aad was
seen by all the court Another very young one was
fuxp ia inf rplu teA hui Dam,
Goes. The king OF Portugal and the grand master
of the order of ST. James, said TO have had suit
at law to determine which party these monsters be-
longed to.
In the year 1860, near the island or Manar, on the
western coast of Ceylon, some fishermen brought
up at one draught OF net, seven mernen and mer-
maids: OF which several Jesults, and among the
rest, F. Hen. Henriqucs and Dimas Bosquer, physi-
clans to the yceroy of Goa, were witnesses, The
physician, who examined them with great deal of
care, and made dissection thereof, asserts, that all
the parts both external and Internal, were found
perfectly comfonnable TO those of men,
We have also another account of norman seen
near the great rock called the Diamond. on the
coast OF Martinico The persons who saw 1t gave
precise description OF 1t before a notary. They
affirmed that they il wipe its hand its face
and even heard it blow Its
In Pontoppldans Natural History of Norway,
also, we have accounts OF mcrmaids but not more
remarkable, or any way better attestcd than the
above.
More modern instances are the following in
1913 mermaid was taken in the harbor of Cher
bourg, after violent storm, and was carried by the
mayor OF that place as a present to the French
court; but, dying before II reached Versailles,
afterwards shown publicly in the streets of Paris.
In the year 1858, mermaid was exhibited at the
fair Of St. Germaine's in France twas about two
feet long, very active, sporting about in the vessel OF
water in which it was kept, with great agility and
seeming delight. 1t was fed with bread and small
fish. Its position, when at rest, was always erect.
Ii was female, with ugly negro features. The
skin was harsh, the ears very large, and the back
parts and tail were covered with scales. NJ. Gau-
tier, a celebrated French artist made an exact
drawing OF IT.
Another mermaid. which was exhibited in Lon
don in IT'S, said to have been taken in the gulf
of Stanchio IN the Archipelago, or Egcan Sea, by
merchantmen, trading TO Natola, in August, I77I.
1t was, therefore, Asiastic mermaid The de-
scription is as follows:-Is face is like that of
young fcmale-its eyes line light blue-.its nose
small aud handsome-lts mouth small--lts lips Tim,
and the edges OF them round like that of the Goldfish
its teeth small, regular and whitc-its chin
well shaped, and its neck full Its ears are like
those of the eel but placed like those Of the human
species, and behind them the gllls forrcsraton,
which appear like curls Some are said 10 have
hair upon their head but this has only rolls instead
OF hair, which, at distance, might be taken for
short curls But its chief ornament II beautiful
membrane or fin rising from the temples, and gradu
ally diminishing till 1t ends pyramidicaly, forming
ioreop like a lady's head-dress. 1t has no fin on
the back, but bone like tina, of the human species.
Its breasts air and full the arms and hands are
wei proportioned, but without nails on the fingers ;
the belly round and swelling, but there is no navel
from me waist downward, the body is in all re-
sPects like the Goldfish; it has three sets of fms one
above another, below the waist, which enable it to
swim the sea-
In the year l79t, a mermaid as il was called was
shown at MOI New Broad Court, Bow street, CO.
vent Garden and said TO have been taken in the
North seas by Captain Fortier. This nympll of the
sea, woman from the head down to the lower part
Of the waist and fish from thence downwards, was
three feet long, having ears, gils breasts fms shout
ders, arms, hands, fingers, and a contiguous scale
covering the fish part
The next publication of credit in which we find
notice relative 10 the mermaid, ia Dr. Chisholm 3
Essay the Malignant Fever OF the West Indies
published in 1901. The Dr. speaks of it as follows !:
81 probably hazard the implication of credulity by
,hc following note In the year l797 halpcaing 10
be al Governor Van I}alenburgs plantation. in Der.