The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1869-12-30
From the New York Times
ANOTHER FKMH STORY.

arrival Of Sea Serpent and Body on TIE
AHantse Coast Hon they Looked, and
Hop. After Looking, they Disappeared
Yarn Of a Sea Captain.
The good ship Scottish Bride, two
months out from Bordeaux, which arriv-
al AT this port Sunday, was freighted
with the story of large marine monster,
which the Captain, as there is no duty on
such merchandise, was enabled TO unfold
without delay, and made manifest with
out the assistance of the Custom House
officials) to wondering reporter yester-
day, as followeth:
When about 200 miles off Delaware
Bay. ON the edge of the Gulf Stream, in
the latitude $50 10 and longitude 75' 8,
the weather grew suddenly calm, and they
saw the great sea serpent.
CAPTAIN ALIENS STATEMENT.
CAPTAIN Allen is bluff seaman, who
has followed the ocean as profession for
the last ten years. lie is the very type
of an American skipper, and all the state
ments he makes in regard to the serpent
are worthy Of belief lie states that ON
the 23d of this month, when in the posi-
ton above set down, he descended TO his
cabin at about noon. lie was Just about
eating his dinner when his second mate
descended the cabin stairs, and, in an ex-
cited maner, told him his presence was
required on deck. Thinking the ship had
sprung leak or that some other dire mis-
hap had befallen them, he dropped the
tempting morsel before him, and rushed
up. When he arrived on deck he found
the crew assembled on the starboard side
of the vessel, looking with awe-striken
faces into the water. Not knowing the
meaning of their strange conduct, he also
went there, and a sight met his eye the
memory of which will never fade.
THE SERPENT.
During the morning the weather had
been rather clustering. The wind had
been blowing from call quarters" at the
same time. But now there had come a
calm, and the water was quiet, and as
clear as glass, although the sky was COW
cred with dark, heavy clouds, that threat
ened to burst forth into deluge at any
moment. Upon approaching the side Of
the vessel, the Captain saw in the water
beneath a monster such as he had never
seen before. 1t was about twenty-five
feet in length and proportionately thick;
its head was very large and fiat, while at
each side, on the extreme edge, were set
two bright, scintillating eyes, which, he
says, looked dangerous and wicked. Its
back was covered with large scales like
the crocodile, about three inches in
length, which hooked together and form
ed an impenetrable armOr. Its belly was
a tawny yellow color, and altogether hid
eous. 1t was accompanied by smaller
specimen of its own species, which may
have been its offspring. This was but
few feet in length, but in shape and color
closely resembled the larger one.
THE EFFECT UPON THE SAILORS.
With the usual superstition that always
takes hold of this class, they regarded the
serpent with a sort ofreligious horror, and
all the efforts Of the Captain to have them
make some attempt to capture il were
abortive. They looked upon it as some
thing supernatural, and were not dispos-
ed to NEEDLE with it, The thing was
about four feet from the vessel, was lying
but few feet below the surface of the
water, and was easily discernible to all
on board. The Captain gave orders to
have boat lowered TO attack the monster,
but in the meantime the attention Of the
~
the vessel. 1t raised few inches above
the surface, and then went toward its lar
ger friend, and seemed to tell it Of the
circumstances; but whatever transpired
between them, the larger one raised its
head as though to investigate its sur
roundings, and then, with an easy motion,
it dropped into the ocean. In disappear
ing it went head downward, and its BODY
described a circle like hook, its tail rails
ing out of the water, which, the Captain
says, tapered off to sharp point.
THE STORM THAT FOLLOWED.
The calm that had beset the vessel in |
the morning now gave place to a strong |
northwest breeze that as night closed |
around burst into n storm, accompanied /
by vivid lightning and rolling thunder
The ship was tossed about by the relent- |
less waves which ever and anon broke |
over her with great fury, and during the
whole of this fearful night the sailors
would not 60 on deck without lanterns,
such was their fear Of meeting the mon
ster. Now and then they would 90 10
the Captain and ask his opinion on the
probability Of that occurrence, but he be-
ing no wiser than themselves, would
laugh at their fears, and bid them go to
their work. About morning The storm
died away, but until the following day, |
when they came in sight of land, the
brave men entertained an unexpressed |
dread Of the temperance of the mon
ster.
THE CAPTAINS THEORY.
Captain Allen thinks that the monster
came from the regions of Florida, where
he has often heard of similar creatures
from other shipmasters, and by following
the warm current of the Gulf Stream il |
reached the position where he found it.
In his opinion, it is a deep water animal:
and he accounts for its appearance so
near the surface by the fact of the dark