The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1886-10-28
BOARDED BY SERPENTS
"a SEA CAPTAINS sToRY.)

"A SEA CAPTAINS STORY.
"Why it is that any statement from
sea-faring men in regard to sea serpents
is received with such incrcdulity cannot
understand" said Capt. Samuel Gray of
the brig Hester. "The common sense
of the public at large should teach them
that there can be overgrown scrpents as
well as overgrown bears, lions, tigers, or
elephants. When an explorer or
traveller in tropical countries tells of
meeting and killing serpent thirty or
forty feet long and as large as mans
body, the statement is taken as solemn
truth. When a sea captain tells of see
ing serpent of the same size on the
waters off the same coast, people try to
make out that he is either knave or a
liar. That scrpcnts of all sizes take to
the water in the warm seas and often
voyages from island to island is a fact
no intelligent person ever disputes.
Why, then, should the fact that some
sailor caught sight of one of these ser
pents en- route be disputcd9
"Somc twenty years ago 1 made a
voyage in an English ship called the
Lord Gray, from Liverpool to the Sunda
Islands, which are situated in the Indian
Ocean to the west of Australia. We
=-s-.s..-r .,->------s,..- .-.-----
before reaching Java, and it was while
lying in roadstead between tho islands
of Baly and Lombok that saw sight
to open the eyes of even a sailor. 1t had
been a terribly dry season among tho
islands, and some of them had suffered
great damage from forest fires. AS we
worked up TO the passage from the south
heavy smoke hung in the heavens, kill
ing off the breeze and turning MONDAY
into twilight. 1t was easy to see from
the set of the smoke cloud that there
was an extensive fire raging on the
island of Baly. Our captain at first
suspected at first that volcano was at
work, but when we came to examine the
ashes which fell on our decks we con-
concluded that it was bush fire. We
had to come to anchor In the passage,
which is not over ten miles wide, and
after the first twentyfour hours the
smoke drove down upon us so heavily
that our throats and eyes were greatly
irritated, while the heat was so great
that the men stripped off most of thcil
clothing. If there had been breath Of
wind we should have got out of the un.
comfortable situation by running back
to the south, but as it was not brcatl
of air came to give us amomcnts relief
At night there was such a glare on thu
western sky as made ussconclude that
the whole island of Baly was ablaze ant
being destroyed,
"After the first day we noticed tha
the fish began to feel the effects of the
smoke. They jumped up all around u
as if suffocating, and some of them drove
about the surface as if they were wound
ed and in pain. A big bull whale ncarl.
as long as the ship drove through tn
passage one forenoon from the north
spouting like fire engine and swash
ing his fukcs about as if to strike pur
suing enemy; and he ran so near us tha
the swell he kicked up made the Lor'
Gray dance jig long after he ha
passed. The sharks were the only in
habitants of the deep not affected. The
came about US as thick as flies, and coul
be seen rushing in every direction afte
the frightened fish. About midforcnoo
of the third day, while all the crew, c,
cept what might be called an anchc
watch, were below to seek relief frol
the smoke, there was sudden ro'
raised by the men on deck. We hear
them shouting and Gathering across IL
deck, and directly one of them can
down into the forecastle, while the 9th,
made for the cabin. We in the for
: castle had sprung up, believing the shi
to have been attacked by pirates, b.
!, our mate soon gave us to understand tn
we had different enemy to deal wit
1
We had been boarded by scrpcnts. /
explained that the first he knew of the
, presence was great commotion in Il
waters around, evidently made by 4
= sharks attacking the scrpents. The Ia
ter had been driven off Baly by the fiji
and were crossing to Lombok, whi
, was still safe. They had board
= the ship at every poiI
= and more than dozen were
tf deck when the men rushed for shct'
a "The carpenter ascended the ladd
!, and raised the scuttle few inches
4. take good look, and he yelled rig
!. out in his fright He said the dec
:, seemed alive with serpents, which We
racing up and down and across W
great swiftuess. You will admit that