The Washington herald., 1909-03-07

pent yarns as the New England coast
fishermen and sailors. Those chaps have
a sea serpent tale 70 spring with the ad-
vent OF each season. and there are gener-
ally two or three of them who agree on
the one story. which arrangement sort OF
gives the tale standing before the public.
Now, II all these sea serpents. real or
imaginary. that have appeared from time
TO time along the New England coast
were corralIed and placed out there in
this fine river OF yours there wouldn't be
room for the shipping 70 get TO the docks
But I'm not throwing stones at the New
England sailors OF attempting 10 cast re-
neetion upon their veracity, for 1 have a
sea serpent story myself 10 hand cut. and
II you care for the narrative I'll let you
have it.
G. r. Hight. promoter. mining engineer.
prospector. and globe trotter, recently up
from the tropics on one OF the United
States Fruit Company's ships. was talk
ing to a group OF friends IN a quiet cor
ner Of the long lobby Of the New Dene-
chaud on quiet evening a week or 50
ago. and as Mr.. Hight puffed contentedly
at fragrant South American cigar and
prepared for the story the circle drew
/ closer about him. ready 20 listen.
This sea serpent that I'm going 70 tell
you Of" Ar. Hight took Up his narrative,
I rs no product OF the New Englanders'
imagination. I saw IL with my own eyes,
and you may believe me or nOt-bCt say,
/ why. am Offering excuses for myself al
this early stage Of the proceedings. I
never did run IN the Ananias class, any
how.
Had Varied Experience.
"As you may know. I've spent twenty
years Of my life knocking about on this
terrestrial sphere. and IN that time I've
been in all OF the fiery zones, visited
/ queer and unheard-of places. and seen
pretty near every form OF animal. bird
or reptile life that there is TO be seen.
I've been tiger hunting In India. traiIed
! through the bush after lions in the upper
( Transvsal, shot crocodnes IN the Nile
basin. fished for shark in the Malayan
archipelago. potted pythons in the Bur
mese forests. where the constructors are
I whoppers. and even used a sea serpent
for target in the Mozambique channel
That's record, isn't Il? And II I were
OF the Munchausen type. could make
my fortune writing stories that would
I stir the Presidential ire
I could keep you here for hours telling
you yarns OF big game I've helped hunt,
but as we are not holding an sII-night
session III COnfine myself 10 the sea ser
pent incident and geg right down 10
business before it's goiu'- -tO-bed time.
II was in the fail of ISSs. and I was
in Madagascar looking over plan
tation property for an English
firm whose African agency was To-
Gated at Cape Town I'd worked
\ I'D along the west coast. making occs-
sional journeys into the interior. until 7
struck an excuse for a town called Ma
Janga. which stood on the northern end
of Bamoataska Bay The bay opened out
into the broad channel which divided the
island from the mainland, and the locality
/ was one Of The most gOdf0rsaken that Il
had ever been my bad fortune 20 visit.
I remained at Najanga for several
( weeks waiting for a vessel TO take me
down the coast 20 Tsianfroumazande.
from which point 7 was 10 ship over 70
the mainland, and luckily there were
a young English mining prospecsor named
Cane ard a French Under0ficial named
LaseIle IN the town, with whom I could
make = common lot and keep from DYING
Of ennui.
The people in that town OF huts had
lots Of spare time on their hands-they
were a lazy. shiftlcss lot. anyhow-and
we three white men used 20 I'll IN our
days hunting in the thick swamps and
boating and fishing in the Bay OF BAN
bataska-
Natives Garry News.
zone morning the village was thrown
into a state % great excitement Several
natives came 10 the government house
where Cane and sat on the broad gal
lery with Laselle. and began 70 Jsbbe1
away az a terrible rate IN their queer
I lingo. LaseIle understood the language as
well as he did his native tongue or Eng
lish. and We saw at once thar he was
very much interested.
The native who acted as spokesman
had a fund OF very eloquent and express
i've gestures He repeatedly motioned to
ward the sea, and. with his arms extend
ed, worked his hands up and down. and
then curved and twisted his body with
the skill and ease OF ccntortionist. The
whole village gathered around TO hear the
statement whatever il was. that was be
ing made. and as the spokesman crossed
his arms over his chest. violently shock
his head making a hideOus face at tbs
! same time and emitting from between IFS
clenched teeth sort Of below several
women in the front row OF the crowc
howled 6ismally, fell 20 the ground. rolled
over ana over. beat their breasts, and
tore out their hair
with an imperious sweep of his hand
missed the villagers and then turning
10 US. said IN French, serpent de merr
He saw that we were stiu in the dark
having small knowledge Of the Johnny
Crapaud talk. and res0rting 10 his ex
cellent command OF English. gave Us al
astonishing bit OF information.
'' The natives have seen a great serpent
! down IN the bay. he said. and the mon
! ster overturned q boat and gobbled W
one OF the fishermen From the state
ment made by the villagers Il seems thal
. four Of them were out in the bay fish
ing IN one OF their long bark canoes
They were a quarter OF a mile or so from
shore. and were just about 10 head IN 70
ward the beach when the water at tn,
stern was violently agitated. and abov,
the surface was thrust an awful serpen
tine head about the size OF a hcgshead-
: Covered with Giant Scales.
, The head had rounded sides. but was
o inclined 70 aatness az the ton. and Their
; was bony ridge. ike crest. extending
: from a point between the eyes to tn
e neck About FIVE feet Of the neck an,
, body Of the serpent protruded from III,
water. and the horror-stricken native,
were close enough to see that the monste
was a dark greenish shade and wa
covered over with scales the size Of
? silver dollar The eyes Of the snak
were set far apart and were glazed owe