The Nevada journal., 1852-04-08
From the Y Y. Tribune.
CAPTURE OF THE SEASERPENT.
Sim oncGheln. Feb. 6. 1876


A small vessel has Just been repor
ted from my masthead, and as she i
apparently bound into some of thu
Northern ports, l intend 10 speak her
purposely to acquaint through you
widely diffused journal, the people o
the United States, with the fact o.
the existence and capture Of the Sea
Strpent-a monster deemed tabulou,
by many-but the truth of whose ex
istence is forever settled, and l trust ]
will be excused in saying by Yankee
intrepidity.
On the morning of Jan. IS, wher
in latitude 3 deg. 10 min. South, and
longitude 13l deg. so min. Vest, the
man on the loook out, seated on the
fore top mast cross-trees, sung out
"White water" and in reply to my
"Where away" said "Two points on
the lee-bow." suppoSing it to be made
by sperm whales, and very anxious to
obtain oil, | ordered the ship 10 be
kept off and Immediately went aloft
with my spy-glass. l will observe
that for several days we had been
struggling along with light and battling
winds, but at daylight of the morning
of the 18th the wind had drawn to the
south southwest, become steady, and
threatened to become gale, was
aloft nearly half an hour before | OBJ
served anything like "white water"
and then | presumed it to be made by
a school or rather shoal Of proposes,
but wishing to be certain, l ordered
the mate, as it was seven bells, to turn
all hands, square in the yards and send
out the port Sudden sails. 1t being
my breakfast hour, / urged the man
to keep both eyes open, and | came
down but before | reached the deck,
my attention was called to the sudden
and vehement cry of Onnetu Van jan,
a Marquesan Islander, "Oh! Look !
Look! Me see! Too much! Too much"
All eyes were instantly directed to the
savage,to ascertain where he was look
ing, and then all eyes turned to the
lee-quarter. just had time to see
"black skin" when it Disappeared
The native was excited, and in reply
to my questions, said, "no whale-to
much-to big-to long-me no see all
same dat feller-me fraid." Not be-
ing able to tell which way the animal
or fish was bound, l luffed and came
aback, ordering the lines in the boats
and the crews to stand by The ho-
rizon was scanned in every direction
for nearly an hour, when giving up all
hopes braced forward and went be-
low. The native continued to look
with eagerness, pushed on by the OBJ
servations of the crew who asserted
that he had seen nothing, but he pro-
we'd the truth of his sight in few min
utes by uttering another cry, and with
more vehemence than the first l
rushed on deck, end the first look, not
a mile to leeward, rested on the stran-
gest creature l had ever seen in the
ocean. 1t was apparently still, but
sobbing' up and down, as we say oI
sperm whales. | knew 1t was not a
whale. The head l could not see, but
the body had motion like the waving
of rope, when shaken and held in the
hand. Every eye in the ship regarded
it attentively, and not a word was spo-
ken or sound uttered. In few min
utes the whole length of the body rose
ard lay on the water; it was of an
enormous length. Presently the ex-
trcmity or tail, moved or vibrated, az
itating the water, and then the head
rose entirely above the water, and
moved sideways slowly as if the mon
ster was in agony or suffering. at is
Sea Serpent" | exclaimed; "stand
by the boats" There was hesi.ancy,
and the mate said--"Of what use is
there lowering for him? we only lose
time and gain nothing, besides" l alb
ruptly checked him and ordered all
hands called aft. When they had
mustered | told them / wished to try
that fellow; | urged them with all the
eloquence / possessed, telling them
there were but few who believed in
the existence Of the sea serpent, and
that a wish had been expressed that a
whale ship might fall in with one of
them--that if we did not attack him,
and should tell of seeing hi" when we
got home, we would be laughed at and
derided, and the very first question
would be, "Why didn't you try him?"
| told them our courage was at stake |
--our manhood, and even the credit of
the whole American Whale Fishery,
and concluded by appealing to their
cupidity, holding out that we might |