Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-08-19
sCA.sERPENT.

4
e,,lowing letter, with this preface: cit
i from perfectly trustworthy source,
and describes an incident which has
ayeited a lively speculation along the
,orth shore since last Friday. The
,.nthtulness of the statement may be
relied upon; the party consisting OF
t,nr persons, besides the two sailors,
agree in making their statements.
They all have good eyesight, and the
Gentlemen are accustomed to the sea
,Iong this coast and elsewhere.
SwAMpscoTT, July 81, 1875.
On our way over to Nahant to call
ON YOU yesterday, we met with an adj
venture which caused us to postpone
that pleasure, and which has created
ante an exc tement in our usually
inlet household. Our party consisted
Of my reverend brother, Miss Mary
l., =, and myself, with two
sailors. We were sailing in my yacht
about half way between Swampscott
and Egg Rock, the sea being quite
rough, owing to the strong southeast
erly wind of the previous night, when
we espied school of backfish or small
whales between Egg Rock and Little
Mahant. While we were watching
their movements through our glasses,
the head OF an immense fish or sea
monster Suddenly emerged from among
them, remained above water for some
seconds and fell again, causing the
water to boil for some distance around
it, and this performance it repeated
at intervals of perhaps two minutes.
This being something none of us had
ever seen before, We at once headed
the yacht for the creature. When
first seen it was at distance of about
two miles from us and heading toward
Us. had on board small breech.
loading Ballard ride, caliber A coilical
bah, and as soon as we were within
500 wards | fired at it, but without
effect, as the motion of the vessel was
50 great that it was almost impossible
to get steady aim. We chased it
about the bay for two hours, and du-
ring that time fired at it about twenty
times, at distances varying from 100
20 500 yards. Once we distinctly
heard the ball strike it, but with no
pcrceptbIe effect. Finally it started
out to sea, and when last seen was
heading in 4 southeasterly direction,
some four or FIVE miles out. During
all this time it was accompanied by
Ihe blackGsh, some fifteen or twenty
IN number, one of which seemed to
keep close alongside Of it. It's des-
cription, as nearly as | can give it to
you, is as follows: The head remind.
ed me of a lizards head, long, fat on
top, from two to two and half feet
across, with eyes large and proni.
nent, set well back on the upper part,
large mouth, which we could see
open occasionally. This head it raised
about eight feet from the surface of
the water, bringing it up slowly, and
Keeping it up FIVE to ten seconds, when
1t would plunge back with quick
motion like a dive, and showing a
small portion of the back, where we
could see pointed fin about one and
half OF two feet long, standing
straight up, and in front we could see
me upper part of what looked Ike
short legs, or the flippers of & seal,
Int it never raised the extremities
'uum the water Its color was a
sHouth, glossy black, except the I'M
.,ar part of the lower jaw, and as
aHe6 OF tie breast rs we could see,
F,.rh was white, with a distinct line
Jcmrcatiou between the two col.
.r>. / could see nothing that looked
ike scales. We could, Of course, tell
ra'u.ug about the length of his body