The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-07-14
CHAPTER vIH.-DIsCUssION OF THE UN-
KNOWN.

KNOWN.
Among so many men who had travelled
much, it was not strange that some of u
should have opinions Of our own concern
ing the existance of many curious crea
lures, which are generally considered
fabulous. One evening some one asked
che captain if he believed IN that great
unknown, the Sea Serpent?
Believe in the Sea Serpent? he re-
ljoined;" of course | do; I've the best
evidence man can have I've seen him ?
What the real animal no joker"
] Yes, SIR ! the genuine animal Lets
hear about it said several.
Certainly I'll tell you all about it
| was on whaling voyage, and We were
pretty near the middle of the Indian
Ocean, good way from any land We
were becalmed, and lay perfectly still.
We were lying lazily about the deck,
whiting, smoking, and spinning yarns,
when suddenly there was cry from the
mast head There she blc-o-ws In al
instant we were on our feet, and on the
/ lookout. Soon the look out shouted
It's no whale-no nor anything else /
ever saw before! The Captain ascend.
Ell the masthead with glass, and soon
exclaimed, It's Il Sea Serpent! 1t was
soon visible from the deck, as it was
coming toward us. 1t swan very rapidly,
with its head high out of the water. As
lit came nearer, we could see that it was
| indeed that mysterious creature, whose
existence so many dsbelleve; it was
not a whale, nor basking shark, nor
seal, nor mass of sea weed. We were
familiar with all these, and this creature
could not be mistaken for any of them.
! | had always doubted the stories | had
heard of this mysterious monster; but
there was no longer room for doubt. 1t
came quite close, seeming to be as much
astonished at our appearance as we at
his.
CAS- near as | could judge its head
was about three feet long; the mouth
was very large, open far back of the eyes,
and as it opened its jaws, I could see it
was well furnished with savage looking
teeth. just back of the head the neck
was about foot in diameter, and grad
ually increased to more than two feet,
where it disappeared under water. It's
body did not appear to be covered with
scales, but with smooth dark brown
skin. When we first saw it, it carried its
head about ten feet above the water, but
as it drew nearer, it raised it to double
that height. We could not see the body,
but by the motion of the water, / thought
it propelled itself by means of f1ippers at
the sides. We could only guess at its
length; but from the wake it left in the
still water, considered it must be at
least sixty feet long others estimated
it much more. We had full time to OBJ
serve all these particulars, for it remain
ed in sight more than half an hour
Swimming about us, and finally sank
+ and disappear ID. Such, gentlemen, il
| my experience of the Sea Serpent, and
you see that have good reason for be
Viewing in it,"
captain said the Doctor, did you
, ever see the Great Squid ="
f "No," lie replied; "not the whole
animal; but | have seen pieces OF it
arms floating on the water, in regions
where the sperm whale feeds | have
seen pieces as big round as flour barrels
and with suckers on 'em as big as Dime
plates; the whole animal must be
monster"
5 : He is indeed" said one of the part,
who had not told story before ; a quiet
gentlemanly young fellow, whom on
would hardly select as "a hero of vide
adventures, He is indeed, for I've seel
oneH
There was immediately a call for tn
, story, and he complied as follows:
"The Great Squid, from all the ac
! counts | can gather, is nothing more O
less than a gigantic cutie fish. All thes
creatures are furnished with long arms
! with suckers upon them, which work O.
t the same principle as the boys toy G
: that name, and by which they are enabled
s TO hold firmly to any object.
: g The place where | encountered thi
/ monster was In the Pacific Ocean w
: had seen several peices of the arms, as tn
! Captain describes, floating about On
! day, as we lay becalmed, loud exclarna
tion from one of the men called my atter
ton to spot, couple of hundred yard
or so from the ship, when the water wa
| violently agitated, as though something
j was rising to the surface. At first we SUP
g posed 1T to be a whale, but in few me
g lments it came to view. Heavens, wha
: a creatures! Never in my whole life di,
!. | behold anything half so hideous i
) was more like some fancy of deliriur
s than living being OF earth The mos
; eonspicuous thing about it was its, arms
Of these it had eight, full forty feet long
; that -writhed and twisted mall directions
! like enormous serpents, and by these /
| seemed to propeI itself. The. body, wha
, We could see Oft, seemed to be twelve O
fifteen feet broad, and rather longer, blu
J not much. 1t was shapeless mass O
/ |jelly-like flesh, covered with Shiny
dirty-yellow skin. At the base of tn,
arms we could see its hure 0oorle ewes