Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-10-18

remaining breast-high out OF the water.
Becoming frightened. the men rowed
away. and the creature, blowing out its
cheeks. made q curious noise and dived
beneath the waves On reaching land
their story WIS related TO the authorities,
and their dispositions taken down, re-
corded and sworn to. This norman. ac-
cordlng 20 their account. looked like an
old man. with broad shoulders and stout
limbs; his small head had short, curly,
black hair, deep-set eyes, and thin face,
with black beard, and the lower part OF
his body was pointed Ike fish.
In the history OF whales and seals In
the "Naturalsts' Library there is given,
as coming from Mr.. Edmonton. distin-
guished professor Of natural history at
the University OF Edinburg. a yet more
circumstantiaI account OF captured mer-
maid Six fishermen near Tell, one or
the Shetland Islands, found the creature
caught in their fishing-lnes; IL was but
3 feet long. the upper part Of the body
more like monkey than human being.
the lower part that OF a fish. The skin
was smooth and gray, and there was q
row OF stiff bristles from the top OF the
head 10 the shoulders. There were no
sea es. gllls. nor fins. and the mouth, lips,
and fingers were very distinct: IL did not
struggle nor try to bite, but moaned
pIaintively After keeping IL three hours
the men. Impressed by its strong resem-
blance to a human being. put II back into
the sea Professor Edmonton conversed
with two OF the men upon the subject.
and WIS convinced OF the truth of their
story.
The belief in mermaids and water
sprites has been the source OF some of
g. nt.I al IL.
with which the folk lore and traditions
of many nations have been enriched.
The Syrians worshipped a goddess who
was half woman and half fish, and such
WAS the form of the sirens who lured
Ulysses. The Princess Use. who enticed
Kaiser Heinrich, the Vogelsteller, was
a water sprite. and to the same cate
CORY belonged the Willis of the Mummel-
see I'm the Black Forest, and that en-
chantroes' OF the neighboring Schluchsee
who dragged the crusader Conrad Won
Feldberg with her sea-green tresses 10
the edge Of the lake when the falling
of consecrated relic from his neck
saved him.
The Emperor. Henry VII. MEM
her of the illustrious house Of
Luxembourg and the proud family
Of the Romans. delighted in trac-
ing their descent from the beauti-
ful Ne,usine. who was better known as
the ancestress OF the Counts Of Lusignan.
According to the legend. every seventh
day this lady became. from the waist
down. a serpent or fish. She built for
her lord several castles, and her spirit
was said to hover above their battle
ments before the death of any one of her
descendants. just as the White Lady in
th,. castle in Berlin forctells the death
of any Of the HohenzOlierns. Both
Brantome and the grave historian. Me
zeraf. mention having conveised with
nersons who had seen the form OF the
fair Melusna under these circumstances,
and the secretary of the Duo de Berri.
in the fourteenth century. declared that
during the seige ofthe castle Of Luslg-
nan by that Prince Saville (who de-
Tended iO. together with his wife, be
held the lady in her blended form Of
woman and serpent, and the gentleman
told the story t. the Duke, swearing to
IL upon his faith and honor.
In conclusion-in the words Of the vera
cious and pious NJ. Naleniyn-'m after
all this there shall be found those who
disbelleve the existence OF such creatures
as a seaman or mermaids. of which we
have at least given great reason to be-
lleve that there are. let them please
themselves. l shall give myself no more
trouble about them.