Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-07-05
CAPTURE OF A SEA SERPENT
PROM THE JOURNAL OF COMMERCE,

FROM THE JOURNAL OF COMMERCE.
Capt. RICHARD BURR late Of the brig Long Island stated
the following particulars to cne or more Of the Marine Sur
veyos of the port Of New York. his last arrival which,
however, was time since. He is absent trip
to the eastward When he returns promised in
terview with him. and an extract from his log book
Capt Bum states that when in lat. g deg north, and
long 81 % west his passage from the Isle Of SAL Cape
de Verds to Rio Grande there being dead calm shoal Of
singular locking fish approached his vessel very large one,
which he took be the mother Of the small ones appeared
be about 100 feet long, and its body large tie lower
mast Of ship Of 500 Moving towards the brig she
came one time within about 20 feet She would raise her
head 10 IL feet Of the water look around the OBJ
ecs presented then settle her head and body under water
and move O.. the small ones there were 30 to $50
They abou, the brig and in sight 20 minutes
They steering to the eastward Some of the small
quite along the side Of the brig Capt Burr having
pair Of five prong cranes board seized it. and struck it
into the neck oone of the smallest But in attempting haul
the prize on bord the body parted from the head
having the back bone o and fell overheard The head
saved and put in salt for preservation. It in the
possession Of the Marine Surveyors and queer concern it
is The head proper back to the gs, is l3 inches long.
The mouth or muzze is compromise between that Of
sucker and common snake. 1t has teeth, and It ever
bad tongue that unruy member is missing. Its gs
very large and powerful and its mode Of securing its prey
evidently suction The eyes large, each sde
and ten inches back from the muzzle From the muzze back
within inch Of the eyes, the size Of the poboec,
whatever may be called is nearly uniform an inch
and quarter In diameter 10 m present diminished condition
but where the eyes inserted the diameter is about two
inches and increases back to the extremity OF the gs just
behind the gls us, each side and at that
point what may be called the body Oh only
inches preserved enlsgng to the point where
the cranes broke asunder The entire length Of the head
including this small section of the body IL inches Capt
Burr thinks the portion of the body which fell of Is
l6 fee, long at least and its largest diameter inches
There back n The tail was not seen. The entire
casing Of this strange fish serpent the case may be-
much harder than bone and We can easily imagine
that in foil grown subject would be bullet proof is,
however, much harder and the sides than beneath
The capacity of the gule well the absence Of teeth,
shows that this ANIMAL like the land snake in the habit Of
swalowing its food in the gross, without mas,cation.
Ofhe mother snake about feet above the water
at once.
These gentle reader the facts they given to
Mr. Burr is said be Of excellent character. Whe-
iher what he family Of sea-serpen,s not, the
reader can Judge well The part above described is
before eyes, and be by any who peaes at
the Office Of the Marine Surveyors II 1t is not part Of
young sea-serpen what it Will the natuasts tell US
II is evidently animal else what is the Of sils
and fms We have the like Of 1t before and we
undersnd the old salts equally at fault in regard to it.
About the eyes, we are told, resembles certain species
alligator. But the mouth is entrey unlike that Of the ali
gator the long prob,sc snout does not belong to the a
gator and the whole it clearly belongs to ferent
family.