Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-06-28
Strange Sea aEousfers.


On Sept. II, at 1880 8. NJ, the third Off
oe. of the British stea mship Nestor, then in
the Malacca Straits, announced a shoal.
Capt. Webster watched the object ard found
that it was in motion, keeping up the same
speed as the ship and retaining about the
same distance es when FIRST seen. "The
shape of the creature" said the Captain lin
an affidavit before tho Law Secretary at
Shanghai), II would compare TO that OF q
gigantic frog The head, of pale, yellow
ish color, was about twelve feet in length,
and six feet of the crown was above the wa.
ter. The heaG was Immediately connected
with the body without any indication OF q
neck. The body was about forty-fve or
fifty feet long and of sn oval shape, perfect
~ smooth. The back ross some five feet
above the surface. An immense tall, fully
Loo feet in length, rose 6 few inches above
the water. This tail saw distinctly from
its junction with the body to lis extremity,
and estimate its diameter at four feet. The
body and tail were marked with alternate
bands or stripes, black and pale yellow in
color The stripes were distinct to the very
extremity of the tail. The creature pos
sessed no Ems or paddles go far as we could
perceive"
Ia 1878 monstrous cuttlefsh was en-
countered by two fishermen in Conception
Bay, Newfoundland. When attacked the
creature threw its long arms across the fish
ermen's boat, but one of the men cut Off the
tentacle with an axe. This tentace was
twenty-five feet in length; and as the fish
ermen considered that it was cut eff fully
ten feet from the body the entire length OF
the tentacle must have been about thirty
five feet. They estimated the body at sixty
feet in length and five feet in diameter.
La 1861 the French var steamer Aector
encountered u monster cutie ct sea about
120 miles northeast o! Te1orflo. The crew
got g moose around the body, but il slipped
to the tail, which it pulled of. The weight
OF this little bit Of the creature was found to
be over forty pounds. Il was estimated That
the body was so feet long snd the weight
not less than 1000 pounds.
The most remarkable account OF sea
monster Of this kind was that given by the
Captain and officers of the Pauline. It was
sworn 70 on oath by the captain, chief mate,
second mate, and by the steward and sea
man. "On July S" said the captain, wye
observed three large sperm whales, one Of
which was g:ipped around the body by two
turns of what appeared TO be a huge serpent.
The head and tail appeared to have q length
beyond the coils Of about thirty feet, ard
girth Of eight or nine feet The creature
whirled the whale round and round for
about fifteen minutes and then suddenly
dragged it to the bottom head first. Five
days later the same creature, or similar
one, vas seen about two hundred yards
from the ship, darting along the surface,
head and neck being above the water TO Il
height estimated at about sixty feet"
Some ten years ago Commandant Vile
neuve and The officers fthe French man-of
war LeEdre saw creature corresponding
in appearance with the sea serpent travel
ing rapidly along, the head slightly raised
above the water, and with sort of mane
streaming backward, while the back of q
long body could be seen under tho water.
a creature exactly answering to this de-
scription was seen By Major James Harding
passing within few yards of his canoe and
swimming toward 6 small island outside
Suva Bay, known as the home OF the Big
Snake. Captain the Hon. George Hope, OF
the British ship Fly, when in the Gulf Of
California, the sea being unusually calm and
transparent, saw at the bottom large ma
rine animal with the head and general fig
ure of an alligator. but the neck much long
er, and with four large paddles instead of
legs.
My own belief is that there still exist crea-
lures such as Capt. Hope described. Such
creatures would present all the characteris-
tics recognized in the So called sea serpents.
Their paddles would enabls them TO ad-
vance rapidly without perceptibe undnlG
zion, which the sea. serpent has been OBJ
served to do, and which no actual serpent.
inc creature could do.-tSan francisco Eram-
iner