The weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1869-18??, 1869-12-15
ARRIVAL of a Sea Serpent and Baby on
-s es ~e; the Atlantic Coast.

The good ship Scottish Bride, two
months out from Bordeaux. which arrived
at this port Sunday, WAS freighted with the
story OF large marine monster. which the
captain, as there is no duty on such mer
chandize, was enabled to unfold without
delay, and made manifest (without the as.
sistance OF the custom house officials) to
wondering reporter yesterday as followeth
When about 200 miles off Delaware Bay.
on the edge of the Gulf stream, in latitude
So deg. 16 and longitude "a deg. the wealth
er grew suddenly calm, and they saw the
great serpent
Capt. Allen is bluff seaman, who has
followed the ocean as q profession TOR the
last ten years, He is the very type of an
American skipper, and all the statements
he makes in regard to the serpent are wor
thy of belief He states that on the 22d of
this month, when in the position above set
down, he descended to his cabin at about
noon He was just about eating his dinner
when his second mate descended the cabin
stairs, and In an excited manner told him
his presence was required on deck. Think
ing the ship had sprung leak or that some
other dire mishap had befallen them, he
dropped the tempting morscl before him,
and rushed up. When he arrived on deck
he found the crew assembled on the star
board side of the vessel, looking with awe
stricken faces into the water. Not know
ing the meaning Of their strange conduct,
he also went there, and sight met his eve
the memory of which will never fade. -
During the morning the weather had been
rather clustering. The wind had been
blowing from "all quarters" at the same
time. But now there had como a calm. and
the water was quiet, and Ms clear as glass,
although the sky was covered with dark,
heavy clouds that threatened tn hurst forth
into tieluge at any moment. Upon ap
preaching the side of the vessel. tho captain
saw in the water beneath monster such as
he had never seen before. 1t was about 25
feet in length, and prsportinnately thick;
its head was very large and fiat, Ehile at
each side, on the extreme edge. were set
two bright scintilating eyes, which, he says
looked dangerous and wicked. Its hack
was covered with large scales like the crsc-
odile, about three inches in lengeh, which
hooked together and formed an impenetra.
BILE armor. Its belly was tawnv yellsw
color, and altogether hidenus. 1t was ac-
species, which may have heen its offspring.
This WAS hut few feet IN length, but in
shape and color closely ressmbled the larger
one.
With the usual superstition that always
takes hold of this Class, they regarded the
serpent with sort OF religious horrer, and
all the efforts of the captain to have them
make some attempt to capture it were abor-
tive. They looked upon it as something su
pernatural and were not disposed to med
die with it. The thing was about four feet
from the vessel, was lying but few feet be-
low the surface of the water, and WAS easily
discernible to all on board The captain
gave orders to have boat lowered to at
tack the monster, but in the meantime the
attention of the smaller one was called to
the presence of the vessel 1t raised q few
inches above the surface, and then went tn-
ward its larger friend, and seemed to tell it
of the circumstance; hut whatever trans
pired tween them, the larger one raised
it's 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 circle like hook, its tail rising
out W tuc Natti, Which, INC Captoln says,
tapered off to sharp point.
The calm that had beset the vessel in the
morning now gave place to strong north
west breeze, that as night closed around
burst into 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
go on deck without lanterns, such was their
fear of meeting the monster. Now and then
they would 60 the captain and ask his opin-
ion on the probability of that occurrence,
but he being no wiser than themselves,
would laugh at their fears and bid them 90
to their work. .
About morning the storm die'l away. but
until the following day, when they came in
sight of the land. the brave men ell 'ertained
an unexpressed dread of the reappesancc
of the monster. .I-..
Capt 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 cur
rent of the Gulf Stream it reached the pos
ition where he fnund it.
In his opinion it is deep water animal,
and he accounts for its appearance so near
the surface by the fact of the dark day, and
the monster not knowing how high up he
was.