The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-07-06

LATEST FROM THE SEA sARPEsT ONE OF HER BABIES
CAPTURED Capt Richard Burr, late OF the brig Long
Island, stated the following particulars TO OF
the marine surveyors OF this port his last arrival,
which, however, was some time since. He is alb
sent trip 10 the eastward When he returns we are
promised an interview with him, and extract from his
log book
Capt Burr states that when in LAT S deg north, and
long al or % west his passage from the Isle OF SAL
Cape de Verbs, 10 Rio Grande, there being dead calm
shoal of singular looking fish approached his vessel
very large which he took TO be the mother of the
small ones, appeared to be about i2o feet long, and its
body large the lower mast OF ship OF 500 tons
Moving towards the brig, she one time within
about 20 feet She would raise her head or IL feet
out OF The water look around on the objects presented
then settle her head and body under the water and move
on OF the small ones there were 100 TO 800 They
were about the brig and in sight twenty minutes or
more. They were steering to the eastward Some OF
the small ones came quite along the side of the brig
Captain Burr having pair OF kvs-prong cranes on
board seized H. and struck 1t into the neck OF one OF
the smallest, But in attempting to haul the prize
board, the body parted from the head, (the cranes
having cut the backbone off, and fell overheard
The head saved and put in salt for preservation
tits now in the possession OF the marine surveyors and
queer concern is The head proper back TO the gils
is thirteen inches long The mouth or muzze is com
promise between that OF a sucker and common snake
1t has no teeth and il !, ever had tongue, that unruy
member is missing Its gills very large and pow
efu and its mode OF securing its prey evidently by
suction The eyes large, one each side, and ten
inches back from the muzze From the muzze back to
within inch two OF the eyes, the size of the pro.
boscls, or whatever may be called, is nearly uniform
say inch and Quarier in diameter in its present d
mnished condition but where the eyes inserted the
diameter is about two inches, and increases back the
extremity OF the gills. just behind the gls are two fms
each side and at that point wba, may
be called the body OF this only about four inches
preserved, enlagng the point where the cranes broke
II asunder The entire length OF the head, including
this small section OF the body, is ~ inches Captain
Burr thinks The portion OF the body which fell of was IS
10 feet long at least, and its largest diameter or
inches There no back hn The tail was not seen
The entire casing Of this strange fish serpent the
may be- is much harder than bone and we
easily imagine that in full grown subject IL would
be bullet proof is however, much harder Top and
the sides than beneath The capacity OF the guet az
well the absence OF teeth, shows that this animal
like the land snake, in the habit OF swallowing its food
in the gross, without mastcabon.
OF the mother snake, about 40 feet above the
water al once.
These gentle reader the facts they given
us Mr. Burr is SAID 10 be man of excellent character
Whether what he saw family OF sea serpents or
not the reader can Judge as well as The part above
described is before eyes, and be by any
who peases al the Office of the marine surveyors II il
is not part of young seaserpent, what is it Will
the naualists tell us Ii is evidently water animal
else what is the Of glls and fins We have never
seen The like OF it before and we understand the old salts
are equally at fault in regard to IT, About the eyes,
are told, it resembles certain species OF alligator But
the mouth is entirely unlike that OF the alllgator the
long proboscis snou does not belong 10 The alligator
and, the whole il clearly belongs TO different fam
Ily-Jonnoi of Commer0.