The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-04-23
From the American chronological Journal.
THE MYDRARc4Os, OR GREAT SEA
SERPENT.


The Mosaic account OF the Creation does
not embody all that may be learned con-
cerniug it. Earth herself is her ms
TOT ian, having written her wi au'o-olog>
raphy in legible characters upor. both her
surface and her depths. These ancient
records modern Geology is gradually de-
cipheriug, and wonderful Indeed are her
revelations.
We do not write merely TO recommend
Geology-,hough we deem 1t present.
uenlly Interesting and insruclive-bu but TO
serve up 10 our readers, in part. tina, itch
Intellectual feast which we ourselves en-
joyed in examining the FOSSIL remains o.!
undoubtedly the most wonderful animal OF
those ancient times.
Though accustomed 10 scenes OF thrill
ling interest, yet We have scarcely ever
been as thoroughly electrified with intel
~lec,ual interest, as in examining the bones.
head ~ofcourse included, of the Hydrarchos,
{water king discovered in South A'aba-
ma by D.. Koch. The weight OF its
skeleton is $500 pounds; length ia feet;
and circumference, judging from The size
and natural position of its ribs, about rs
feet. Tank, reader, Of so vast a structure
moving in a giganlic grandeur through lis
native e'eme.l,, "making the sea 10 boil
like a pot"
Some affect to consider it asa "hum-
hug," made by human honds on specula-
Siou. This idea is entirely erroneous. |
have SEEN, and therefore KNOW it to be
ssrttG6ie bone, and in as perfect a series OF
spinal verleb'B as that OF any other skele-
gon. human or animal. Those who call
this a hoax are poor judges between bone
ENC wood, besides being OF tha. class who
condema PhreEoiogy without a hearing,
and 200 skepiical TO believe their own
senses.
The reader may rest assured that we
scu.inlze both is organization and lis phre-
biological developments with an inter.
Est inexpressible on paper. We have no
We have room 10 The present number TO
remark only upon its physiological organ.
izalion. We shall hereafter give its Phre.
noicgy, illustrated with a view OF its cere.
braI developments, as seen from below
where the observers in The engraving are
represented as sanding. The union OF
that correct profile view here given, and
that we propose to give. will furnish a
complete view Of its cerebral organization,
which, taken in connection with its chars
ectef and habits, as deduced from its anat>
omicai formation, furnishes denonstralive
evidence Of the truth OF chronological
science.
Onr frs: observation upon i! a%pperlain>
ed 10 the extreme grossness at its structure.
Those physloguomical principles which
We applied 10 our las; number to man, APP
ply equally 10 all organized beings, and in
ali epochs of the worlds history and Of
course, to This fossil and an,eje!uviln
specimen. Behold. first, ils vast dinen-
sions. and, next, coarseness OF texture, as
Indicated by It's booy projections. Ac'
cordIng TO our doctrine, this monster was
cosrser, beyond all comparison. than any
present occupant OF our globe. The
coars.nrss accompanying indications OF
power in The whale and elephant, bear 10
comparison with those here evinced.-
This, It's spinous processes fully attest. So,
indeed. does every thing apperlaining to
il. We have seen the bones Of elephants,
whales aud masioIons, and stood mute
with admiration Of their indications Of
Muscular power; yet they are as much
~iaferinr 10 those evinced III this specimen,
as those Of the mouse are compared with
;hose of these animals
To explain more fully. Those process
es Or projections where tbs muscles are
attached TO the bones are more or less dis
zinc, and elevated, the stronger the mus.
Giles. Thus. in the bones Of a delicate fe>
male. these processes are but slight, be.
cause her muscles are weak. In the skel.
e:on Of a man, they are usually much
more conspicuous, aud hence the latter is
the more valuable. And the more pow>
etful the muscular organization. Tho more
prominent these processes. This is an es
iaolished anatomical truth. II applies
equally TO animals. The Editor owns, the
entire skeleton of one of the largest and
Mosl powerful lions ever imported to this
country, The skull OF which he has often
exhibited at his lectures, but has now lost.
Throushou, this skeleton these processes
were immense those on the fore legs,
skall, and spine especially. The same is
true Of Bones Of the elephant, tiger. g.
il The s,odon-that recently exhumed
near Newburgh, which, by the way, We
recommend every reader who can to visit,
not hon idle curiosity, but to study-these
processes are very much larger than in
the elephant, and correspond with its other
solicitations Of extraordinary muscular
power.
On applying this infallible measure Of
power TO the Specimen before US, wha, do
we behold? An animal whose strength
was hundreds Of times greater han that Of
she elephant, or %rhinoceros, or whale,
L. --..-l L-.- :. l. /