The Portland daily press., 1894-10-29

clear as glass, when, looking over tne
boat side, he behela as it seemed at
first, an enormous alligator moving
Quietly along the bottom. But alllgatofs
40 no live in salt water, and LOOKING
more closely he observed that its neck
was very long and thin like snake s.,
and its legs were f1appers similar to
those of a turtle, moreover it could not
be less than forty feet long. Nothing
has since been heard of this creature.
Fabulous monsters-keipies, water
bulls, water-horses and the iike--are SO
vaguely desert bed as rule that little
definite can be said about them. Not so
in the case of mermaids. There are hon
est folks who not only express but feel
surprised that human beings even put
faith in that legend. TO us 1T seems SO
natural that, it there was no evidence on
the subject, we should not doubt that
such belief had prevailed. 1t was at
least as PROBABLE formerly that creatures
after our likeness inhabited the same as
tnat such Inhabited the stars, and these
good people do not see anything extraor-
binary in that. We have learned now by
experience that they do not exist in the
sea.We have not yet any certain informa-
tlon about the stars-that is the differ
ence. 1t is safe to say that all mankind
believes or once believed in mermaids
In Europe the fancy is immemorial and
1t was sustained by categorical testimony
to date which is not little stri king.
Valentyn published his excellent Nat
ural History of Amboyn" in 1877, when
skepticism began TO make way, and in
cldentally he, firm believer, cites much
evidence old ana new. When dixie
burst in Holland in 1904 mermaid was
washed inland. Fisherman took it to
Harlem, and many great ladies were
interested in the creature. They taught
/ it to spin, and in the courts of several
years made It a good Christian-of the
grieves to record but he adds, this does
not impugp the truth of the story"
Our English priests were not SO sue
cessful with mermaid taken near Ok
ford, as Stowe relates. 1t was kept by
bartholomew de Granville, custos of the
castle at Oxford, for six months and
more. HE spake not word. All man.
ner of meates he did cate, but most
greedlly raw fish, after he had crushed
out tile moisture. Oftentlmes he was
brought to the chucrh, where he showed
no tokens of alteration" 1t is pleasant
to record that this poor beast escaped.
Returning to Valenyn, he gives other in
stances in Europe and then proceeds to
heap up testimony from the lands with
which he was familiar-the Dutch Indies
1t is indeed, a sIriking list, and few
distinguished man of..science, chaplain at
the factory at Amboyna, of unques-
toned veracity, SO far as his knowledge
went, could doubt the existence of mer-
men hence forward. In the first place
Valentyn Indignantly refutes the notion,
which it seems was already prevalent,
that the appearance and habits of the
Dugong might have generated this myth.
Observation was lax formerly, he SAYS,
aud thus the absurd mistake arose. Ii
could not be entertained for moment
in scientific age. And then he tells
how Dutch lieutenant, marching with
his company along the shore atAm bonya.
saw troop of mermen disporting them
selves In the sea.
Their hair Was gray green, long and
flowing. Six weeks later more than fifty
witnesses beheld them at the same SPOT,
He who questions that report, says the
chaplain warmly, would doubt the ex-
istence of Rome or Constantinople, be-
cause he bad not seen them with his
own eyes. Near the church at Tagnau
the whole congregation, assem- bling
for morning service. watched a norman
as long as they could stay, and at after
noon service mermaid. And SO forth
for many pages.