Year: 1869

A Narrative said to be Extraordinary


but Veracious.


The New York Commercial Id
vertiser has sent reporter to "in-
terview" Captain Allen of the tScot-
tish Bride, and here is the narrative
the bold sailor boy tells:


He states that on the 23d of No
vembeT, when in the position above
set down, he descended to his cabin
at about noon. He was Just about
eating his dinner when his second
mate descended the cabin stairs and,
in an excited manner, told him his
presence was required on deck.
When he arrived on deck he found
the crew assembled on the starboar6
side of the vessel, looking with awe
stricken faces into the water. Not
knowing the meaning of their
strange conduct, he also went there,
and a sight met his eye the memory
Of which will never fade.


During the morning the weather
had been rather clustering. The
wind had been blowing from call
quarters at the same time. But now
there had come a calr, and the wa
ter was quiet and as clear as glass,
although the sky was covered with
dark, heavy clouds, that th1 eatened
to burst forth in deluge at any
moment. Upon approaching the
side Of the vessel, the captain saw
in the water beneath a monster such
as he had never seen before. It was
about twenty-five feet in length, and
proportionately thick it's head was
very large and fiat, while at each
side on the extreme edge, were set
two bright, scintillating eyes, which,
he says, looked dangerous and
wicked. It's back was covered with
large scales, like the crocodile
about three inches in length, which
hooked together, and formed an
impenetrable armor. Its belly was
Of a tawny yellow color, and alto.
gether hideous. It was accompa
MED by a. smaller specimen of its
own species, and may have been its
own offspring. This was but few
feet in length, but in shape an6
color closely resembled the larger
one.


| With the usual superstition thai
always takes hold of this class, they
regarded the serpent with sort O.
religious horror, and all the effects
of the Captain to have them make
some attempt to capture it wert
abortive. They looked upon it az
tsomething supernatural. and were
not disposed to meddle with it
| The thing was about four feet from
1.-THE vessel, was lying few feet be
How the surface of the water, anG
was easily discernible to all or
board. The Captain gave orders tt
have boat lowered to attack th'
monster, but in the meantime thu
attention of the smaller one was
called to the presence of the vessel
1t raised it's head a few inches above
the surface, and then went toward
it's larger friend, and seemed to tel
lit of the circumstance but whatever
transpired between them, the larger
one raised its head as though to in
vestigate its surroundings, and then
with an easy motion it dropped into
the ocean. In disappearing, it went
head downward, and its body des.
cribed a circle like hook, its tai
raising out Of the water, which the
Captain says, tapered off to SHARP
point.


| Captain Allen thinks that the
monster came from the regions o1
Florida, where he has often heard
of similar creatures from other ship.
masters, and by following the warm
current of the GulfStream it reached
the position where he found it. Ir
his opinion, it is deep water ami
NAL and he accounts for it's appear.
lance so near the surface by the fact
of the dark day, and the monster
not knowing how high up he was
| We have learned from other sour
ces that this monster is notso myth
cal as generally believed. The same
has often been seen before, but al
ways in fresh water. 1t is known
that he is bred in the warm South
American rivers. and it is supposed
that after attaining a navigable size
he batakes himself to the ocean
where he preys upon the smaller
members of the finny tribe. The
serpent has no fins, so in this res,
pect he can not be classed with any
kind of fish, and being covered with
scales, the cells won't own him; sc
till science gives him some fixed po.
sition he must remain alone. The
only thing to which he bears any
affinity at all is the shark, and in
this only in regard to his mouth
which opens underneath, so that
like the shark, he must turn upon
his back to catch his prey. How
ever there is one thing certain, all
doubts about the existence of such
a monster must end, for this one
has been seen by number of per
sons, who testify to the same story
in all essential points.


! At a church in Essex. England