Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-10-18
MERMAIDS IN STORY
Accounts Of Chroniclers Who Have
Seen These Sirens.
FREQUENT IN EASTERN WATERS.
The Rev. Nr. vaIentyn and His
Natural HistOry-Ilcnry Hudson
Saw n Mermaid While on n Voyage
to Nova Zembla.


relics and curios in London. along with
relics Of Sir John Franklin and other
heroes. there is TO be seen curious
animal. with the head OF a monkey and
the body of a fish, which. by virtue OF its
| position in such a collection. imposes
upon the credulity OF a conhding public
in II the imaginative man sees the con-
firmation OF the many stories OF ami
mails. half man and half fish. OF which
travellers and naturalists have written
since the days OF Plny. In reality. how
ever, II is the product Of Japanese in
genuity manufactured TO beguile cana
from the pockets Of gullible western bar
barians. And yet, since "A scientist has
come TO the rescue of the so-called sea-
serpent myth-since the existence of even
the pigmies has been proved-why not
further exploration bring TO light an ac-
tual mermaid, such as was 80 often seen
by old nayigators?
a grave Scotch Judge at the close OF
the last century wrote an article to prove
them not fabulous, and naturalists OF
many countries and centuries have testi-
fled to their having been seen.
In "Forbes's Oriental Memoirs" II Is re-
OF the companys marine at Bombay.
stated to the author that at Mozambique
Mombas, and Melinda. three Of the prin-
cipal ports on the eastern shore Of Africa,
he frequently saw mermaids from To II
feet long. 1.-The head and face resembling
the human. except about the nose and
mouth. which were rather more like "a
hogs snout: the skin fair and smooth.
the head covered with dark. glossy hair
Of considerable length: the neck. breast.
and body, OF the female as low the
hips, appeared like a well-fOrmed woman
from thence TO the extremity OF the tan
they were perfect fish. The shoulders
and arms were in good proportions. but
from the elbow tapered to lin. These
animals were daily cut up and sold by
weight I'm the fish markets OF Mombas."
In the beginning Of the last century
there lived in the Islands Of Amboyna and
Bauda, Dutch dependencies in the East
Indies. clergyman by the name OF Val
entyn. whose book upon the natural his
tory of India, now rare, was In its day
considered the best ever written. He de-
scribes "A sea-wOman taken alive near
the island Of Doors. she was 80 inches or
feet long, lived four days and seven
hours. and then died. as she could not
eat 80 The body was preserved by one
Samuel Falvers. who also made a sketch
Of II for a work upon the fish OF the
Moluccas. published by two OF the Gov
ernors of Amboyna. THE head was
woman's properly proportoned, with eyes
nose and mouth. only the eyes, which
were light-blue seemed 10 differ a little
from those OF the human species. The
hair. which just reached over the neck,
appeared OF a sea-green or grayish color.
She had breasts long arms. hands. and
all the upper parts of the body almost
as white as a womdn's. but leaning some
what 10 a sea-gTay. The body below
appeared like the hinder part Of a fish,
NJ. Nalentyn further states that the
daily register of the Dutch Company re-
cords that in 1858 Lieutenant Smaller.
with n body of men. having been sent on
an expedition TO the Bay OF Hundelo,
reported having seen on two occasions.
six weeks apart two mermalds swimming
together. They were also seen by all OF
his men. They had breasts. and seemed
shaped exactly Ike human beings from
the waist up. but from there down taper
ed to a point. on his return 10 Europe.
in l7l4 while at sea in south latitude II
degrees 80 minutes, VI. Nalentyn records
that ne. the captain. purser. and mate,
together with many of the crew. saw "a
creature Of gray color like that of
goldfish skin. 1t appeared like a sailor
so that we all agreed 1t must
be some shipwrecked person" The ship
was steered towards him. and was only
one length distant when he plunged down
out OF sight. But the man al the mast
head declared that 'he had a monstrous
long tail"
Mermads were corfned to no special
locality. They were recorded by Mas
ter Henrie Hudson" as having been met
on a voyage TO Nova Zembla while they
were known on the coast OF Brazil as
Ipupiapra. and were said TO kill per
sons by embracing and kissing them.
In Hayuyts voyages it is told that du-
ring one OF Sir John Hawkins's expedi-
lions, when we came In the height OF
Bermuda, we discovered a monster in the
sea who showed himself three
times unto us from the middle up
wards. in which parts he was proper
toned like man, Of the complexion of
a mulatto or tawny Indian The Gene
raj did command one Of his clerks to put
it in writing. and he certified the King
and his mobiles thereof"
Captain Richard Whitbourne relates
that in 1910. in the harbor OF Saint Johns
Newfoundland. he saw "a strange crea-
ture swimming towards me, look
ing cheerfully as ii had been a woman,
By the Face Eyes, Nose, Mouth Chin
Ears. Neck, and Forehead. IL seemed 10
be so beautiful having round
about upon the head all blew strakes
resembling hare down TO the Necke, for
| beheld ii long the shoulders and
back as white and smooth as
the backe of a man; the same
came unto a Boate wherein one William
Hawkridge was and did s,rive 10
come i'm to him and others Now,
because divers have written much of mer-
maids, | have presumed TO relate what is
most certaine.'
Even grave New Englanders had
stories to relate of kindred nature. In
the 1.-TWO Voyages 10 New England of
John Josselyn, he tells of having met one
Mr.. Mitten who. in Casco bay, was
encountered with Triton. who. laying
his hands upon the side Of the canoe. had
one of them chopped off with Ratchet
by MIR. Mitten."
most circumstantial account of
norman seen for two hours by the crew
of a French ship In 1870. at a distance of
two or three feet, was forwarded by N.
HautefOrt TO the COmte de Maurepas
September s. 1725: II was signed by the
captain and all of the crew who could
write. and Is related by Maillet. an
eighteenth-century writer on natural his
tory. in his "Teillamed Tor Whlcn ne
hjt upon a title by reversing the letters
of his own name 1t is possibly this very
account which gave rise TO the theory
Of his Indian philosopher that the original
man and woman came from the bottom of
the sea.
Holland breaks the record with an ac-
count of mermaid which was washed
through a broken dyke on the Zuyder Zee
In 1903 or 1894. She was given TO the
people of Harlem. who taught her TO
eat and spin and wear clothes. Having
lived many years, she was given Chris
tian burial.