The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-01-05

= Marine Frog Finy Feet Long Follows
a British Steamship.


In the month Of October last the
Birth steamship Nesior arrived AT
SHANGHAI from the Straits Of halacca.
shortly after the anchoring Of the YES
vi Al Shanghai. John X. Webster, the
Master and James Anderson, the ships
surgeon, appeared @efore Mr.. Donald
spence, Acting Law Secretary in her
Rritannic Majesty's Supreme Court,
and made affidavit to the following
marvellous statement of facts
we. John Keller Webster, " Liver
pool. and James Anderson, surgeon, 81
liverpool, 90 solemnly and sincerely
declare AZ follows And, first, l, the
said John Keller Webster, In command
~ the steamship Nestor, do declare
that on Monday. the 18th day VI Sep.
,ember. At lO:jO a. M, fifteen miles
northwest Of North Sand Lighthouse,
n the Malacca Straits, the weather be-
mo fine and the sen smooth, the air also
perfectly clear, saw little forward
Of the beam, on the starboard side,
about 200 yards distant from the ship,
An object first pointed out TO me by my
third officer, who remarked: "There
4 4 shoal." Surprised at finding shoal
n such n well known track, | watch.
cd the object and found that II was in
movement, keeping up the same speed
with the ship, and retaining about the
same distance as when first seen. The
speed Of the ship was "a knots,
and the object was NOV
mo parallel with us during six
minutes. Just after | observed IL, the
Chinese deck-passengers discovered 1t
and raised a great cutlery, and about
the same moment ii was deserted by
three saloon passengers and the Sur
oeon. The share Of the creature, for
that IL was alive there is no doubt. |
would compare TO gigantic frog. Re-
ferripg 10 the head and body, as far as
they were apparent above the water
the head, Of pale yellowish color, was
about twelve feet in length, and six feet
~ the crown was above the water; oc-
casionally the head subsidized, until only
4 foot or foot and half remained
above the water. | tried in vain 70
make out the eyes and mouth; the
mouth. however, may have been below
water. The head was Immediately con
nected with the body, without any in
dication 81 neck. The body wa.
about forty-flve or fifty feet in length
and Of an oval shape, perfectly smooth
but there may have been a slight ridge
along the spine. The back rose some
five feet above the surface. An i'm
mense tail, fully 100 feet in length. ross
few inches above the water. This tai
saw distinctly from is junction will
the body 10 its extremity II seemed
cylindrical, with very slight taper, AM
estimated its diameter Al four feet. In
body and tail were marked with alter
nate bands Of stripes, black and pal
yellow in color. The stripes we're dis
tinct 10 the very extremity OF the tai
| can moi say whether the tail termi
mated in d fin or not. ! examined
carefully at the aforementioned DIS
lance. but could not satisfy myself hoy
the tail terminated. The creature pos
sessed no fins or paddles, as far as "
could perceive, never having seen an
part ~ ia belly. l can not say if Il ha
LEGS. Ii il very possible that the cres
turc was much broader and more ma
siye than the dimensions above giyei
for the greater part Of IL was cvldentl
under water, and we never caught
glimpse Of any but the extreme uppe
parts. II appeared TO me to progre
by means OF an undulatory motion
the tail in il vertical plane. The "a
seemed 10 have an independent motion
that Is To say, quicker and ditiere
one from the body. The head woul
rise slowly and tho body becon
simultaneously lower, and vice vers
The undulations Of the tail were brisk
and very distinct, and closely watc
edthemthro good glasses. had 4
some moments the idea Of running u
creature down, but shortly dismiss'
the intention on account Of the dang
Of breaking the screw BLADES. IN
creature showed no sign OF fear. ] G.
not even say II il was conscious OF 9
presence. 1t finally dropped under Q
stern and passed over to the port sid
somewhat slackening its speed. Sor
time afterwards, however, II incroas
its pace, and when last seen was on Q
port beam, at about one and half
two miles distance. The creatu
formed distant wake, and seemed
exude an oily matter as he moved. An
secondly, I, the said james Anderso
do solemnly and sincerely declare a. i
lows, namely, that the shape and col
OF as much AS was distinguishablc
the creature boro an almost exact
sembIancc TO the upper part OF 50
mander; The stripes, however, We
rather more definite, yellow (the pee
liar yellow ~ a salamander) aftermath
with deep black. There were eight
ten stripes on the back. almost i
mediately said, (" II Is an enormous :
amandcr,- and the more | examined
the more was satisfied Of the reese
blance. The back was much high
some eight or ten feet at times, a
f.,... -, ...,a;t;nu I no,,lI MT form a