The Nevada journal., 1852-04-08

I
about the boats was in perfect order
/ had already jumped into my boa
when the Serpent began to move quite
rapidly, and it was necessary to stand
after him. The wind was piping uE
strongly, but we gained; we carried all
: sail, hoping to be able to lower before
the gale endered it impossible. The
Serpent worked to windward, which
compelled me to haul on the wind, and
soon after | carried away my fOretop
gallant mast; this was most unlucky
for us, and what was still worse, we
lost sight of the monster. W. repair
ed damages with all possible dispatch,
and still kept on the wind hoping to
see his snakeship. In hess than an
hour we saw him again, but some
ways to Mipdward; soon ascertaining
that he partly turned Il headed bait our
beam, put the ship about on the 9th
er tack. The wind had increased so
much that | was obliged to put a sim
gle reef in the fore and mizzen top
sails. The Serpent disappeared for a
few minutes again, but when he rose
he was mile ahead of the ship and
going slowly to leeward, having made
complete circuit.
l frankly admit my hopes were fee
bic of ever capturing him, and the
gale made me hesitate about lowering,
but the time arrived, the Serpent was
still, and we nearly half mile to wind
ward. come to with the head yards
aback to have a better control of the
ship, and told the ship keeper to keep
close to us, and by no means TO lose
sight Of US for an instant. We lower
ed, myself taking the lead, and in
few strokes, the wind and sea carrying
us to leeward, / told the boat steerer,
James WEittemore of Vermont, to
stand ups with calm and cool intre-
pidity he laid hold of his iron, (har-
poon,) and, when i beckoned with
movement of my hand, quick as tho't
both of his weapons were buried to the
socket in the repu sive body before us.
| shouted stern, but there was no
visible motion of his snakeship. Il
shifted ends with the boat steerer, and
cleared away lance as quick as pos
sible, beckoning them to pull up, that
! might get a lance, when movement
of the body was visible, and the head
and tail of the monster rushed as it
were to touch the wound. The fright
fulness of the head, as IL approached
the boat, filled the crew with horror,
and three of them jumped overheard.
Iinstinctively held out my lance and
its sharp point entered the eye; Twas
knocked over, and felt a deep churn-
ing of the water around me; l rose to
the surface and caught a glimpse of
the writning body, and was again
struck and carried down; partly lost
my consciousness under water, but re-
covered it when I rose again, in the
bloody feam, the snake had disappear
ed, and / Shouted, "Pick up the line
The third mate, Mr., Benson, caught
Il blight of my line near the end, and
bent on his, which in an instant began
to be taken out rapidly. The mate
picked me up as soon as / rose TO the
surface, and III few minutes all were
picked up--one was severely bru 'sed
and another insensible, but he recov
cred, and both are now well. The !
Snake had taken my line, the third
mates, and was taking the second
mates, when I ordered the mate to
bend on and give his line TO the ship.
The Snake was sounding, and l Icau
toned the officers not TO hold on too |
hard for fear Of drawing the irons. At
first the line went out rapidly, but de-
creased gradually, nevertheless was
obliged to get up a spare line out of
the fore hold and bend on. For far
that the ship would by its weight draw
the irons, | put on several drugs and
gave the line TO the mate, when it be-
came stationary. There was now out
four boats lines, 225 fathoms in a
boat, and two thirds of another line,
100 fathoms more in all one thousand
fathoms, six feet in fatl'om, six thou
sand teet--better than one mills and
az eighth; an enormous depth, and
the pressure at that distance is incon>
ceivable.
1t was now blowing furiously, and
we scarcely dared carry sail enough to
keep the ship up, the boat was in per-
il, and we were obliged TO take the line
to the ship again and run the risk Of
the irons drawing lmadc the end of
the line fast and took in all sail but
enough to keep her steady, and waited
in alarm the Snakes rising, the part
ing of the line, or the irons drawing.