Ellsworth American., 1874-08-06
Vol. XX. Whole No. 1919. No. %

us with the assertion that their vessel
bad bceu submerged by gigantic en-,
le-fsh, or calamafy, the animal which,
tn smaller form, attracts so much AL
iention IN the Brighton aquarium as the
octopus. Each narrator had his version
OF the story, but, in the main, all the
narratives tailed so remarkably as To
leave no doubt of the fact. AS soon as
he was at leisure, prevailed on the
skipper to give me his written account
of the disaster, and / have now much
pleasure in sending You copy OF the
narrative:
81 was lately the skipper of the Pearl
schooner, $50 tons, as light a little craft
as ever sailed the seas, with crew of
six men. We were bound from the Man
ritias for R9ngoOn in ballast, TO return
with paddy, and had put in st Gale for
water. Three days out we fell bee aimed
in the bay (latitude degrees so seconds
north, longitude - degrees 5 second.
caste. On the 10th Of May, about 5P.
NJ, eight bells know had gone-we
sighted two-masted screw on our port
quarter, about four or five miles off.
very soon after as we lay motionless.
great mass rose slowly out OF the sea
about half mile off on our larboard
side, and remained spread out. as IL
were, and stationary it looked like the
back OF hugh whale, but il sloped less.
and was OF a brownish color; even at
that distance it seemed much longer
than our craft, and It seemed to be bask
ing in the sun.
Whats that?' | sung out to the
mate.
'Blest il l know; barring its size. col
or and shape, it might be a whale. re-
piled Tom Scot.
1t amt the sea serpent" said one of
the crew, 'ior he's too round for that ere
crittur.'
81 went into the cabin for NV rifle.
and as | was preparing to fire, Bill Oar
ling, aNewtoundlander, came on deck.
and looking at the monster, exclaimed.
putting up his hand, Have a care, mas
ter; that ere is squid, and will capsize
us if you hurt him.
Smiling at the idea, let fly, and hit
him, and with that he shook; there was
a great ripple all around him, and he be-
gan to move.
''Out with all your axes and knives
shouted biil, and cut at any part OF him
that comes aboard; look alive, and Lord
help us"
Not aware of the danger, and never
having seen or heard of such monster,
l gave no orders, and it was no use
touching the helm or the ropes to get
out OF the way. By this time three of
the crew, Bill included, had found axes,
and one rusty cutlass, and all were
looking over the ships side at the adj
vancing monster. We could now sec a
huge oblong mass moving by Jerks lust
under the surface OF the wafer; and an
enormous train following; the oblone
body was at least half the size of our yes
sci in length and just As thick; the wake
or train might have been one hundred
ieet long.
In the time that have taken TO write
TIL, TIA" brute struck us. and the ship
quIvered under the thud: in anoth-
er moment monstrous arms like trees
seiled the vessel, and she hecled over:
III another moment the monster was
aboard, squeezed in between two masts,
Bill screaming, slash tor your lives
Out all our -isshing was of no avail, for
the brute holding on by his arms slipped
us vast body overheard, aud pulled The
vessel down with him on her beam ends
we were thrown into the water at once.
and luSt as | went over | caught sight
OF one OF the crew, Bill or Tom Fielding,
Squashed up between the masts and
one oi those awful arms; fora few see
ond, our ship lay onher beam ends, then
filled and went down; another of the
crew must have been sucked down, Tor
you only picked up five; the rest YOU
know. cant tell who ran uL the en-
sl2n. JAMES FLOYp,
Late Master schooner Pearl
! ilOmeward Mail.