Year: 1874

The following strange story ha,


been communicated to US by Jane.


Floyd, late master OF the schooner
Pearl:


We had left Colombo in the steam


er Strathowan, had rounded Gale,


and were well in the bay, with our
course laid for Madras, steaming over


4 calm and tranquil sea. About an


hour before sunset on May 10, we


saw on our starbOard beam, and about


two miles of, small schooner lying
! becalmed. There was nothing in her
/ appearance OF position to excite re-
I mark, but as We came up with her
laZily examined her with my binoeu-


lar, ami then noticed between US but


nearer her, a long low swelling, lying


on the sea, which from its color and
shape, took to be q bank of seaweed.
( As | watched, the mass hitherto at


rest on the quiet sea was set in mo-
tiOn. 1t strucK the schooner, which


visibly reeled and then righted. In


mediately afterward the masts sway
] ed sideways, and with my glass 1
could easily discern the enormous


masts and the hull of q schooner Co.'S
lescing-I can think of no other term.
Judging from their exclamatiOns
the other gaZers witnessed the same
appearance. Almost Immediately af-
ter the collision and cOalescence the
schoOner's masts swayed toward US,
lower and lower; the vessel was on
her beam ends, lay there few sec
onds, and disappeared, the masts
righting as she sank, and the main
exhibiting reversed ensign strug-
Cling toward its peak.


A cry OF horror arose from the look
ers on and, if by instinct, our ships
head was at once turned toward the
scene, which was now marked by the
forms Of those battling for life-the
sole survivors of the pretty little
schooner which only twenty minutes
before fiOatei bravery on the smooth
sea.


As soon as the poor fellows were
able to tell their story they astounded
US with the assertion that their vessel
had been submerged by gigantic cut
tie fish or calamary, the animal which
in q smaller form, attracts so much at
tentiOn in the Brighton Aquarium as
the octopus. EIcn narrator had his
version of the story, but in the main
all the naFrtives taiiied systematically
as to leave no doubt of the fact.


As soon as he was at leisure, 1 pre-
vailed on the skipper to give me his
written account OF the disaster and
have now much pleasure in sending
you copy of it: al was lately the
skipper of the Pearl schooner, $50 tons,
as tight little craft as ever sailed the
seas, with a crew of six men. We
were bound from the Mauritius to
RongOOn in ballast to return with pad
dy, and had put 10 at Gale for water.
Three days OUT we feiI becalm=d in
the Bay latitude degrees 50 minutes
N, longitude st degrees minutes Z
on May 10, about p. NJ. (eight bells
L know had gomez We sighted 3 two
masted screw OH our port quarter,
about five or six miles off; very soon
after, as we lay mutiOnIess, u great
mass rose slowly ouJ of the sea, ABOUT
half mile of on our larboard side
and remained spread out as it were,
and stationary; it looked like the back
of huge whale, but it slOped less and
was of brOwnish color; even at that
distance it seemed much longer than
our craft, and it seemed to be- basking
in the sun.


what's that - I sung cut to the
mate. 'Biest il knows; barring its
size, color and shape, it might be a
whale replied Tom Scott. And ii
ain't the sea sarpent,' said one of the
crew, 'for he's too round for that ere
critter.' 1 went into the cabin for
my rifle, and as 1 was preparing to
fire, Bill Darling, NewfOundlander,
came on Geek, and looking at the
monster, exclaimed, putting up his
hand. Have care, master; tEat ere is
a squid and will capsiZe US If you hurt
him. Smiling at the idea, L let fly
and hit him, and with that he shook,
there was great ripple all. round
him and he began to move. Out
with all your axes and knives 7"
shouted Bill, and cut at any part of
him that comes aboard, look alive,
and Lord help US y Not aware of
the danger and never having seen or
heard OF such a monster, l gave no
orders. 9ndit was no use t9uehiipg
Bill included, had found axes and
one q rusty cutlass, and were looking
over the ships side at the advancing
monster.


w COuAA AAOm HCC q AlhSC OOAOh6
mass moving by jerks just under the
surface of the water and an enormous
train following ; the Oblong body was
at least half the size of our vessel in
length and just as thick; the wake
or train might have been 100 feet
long. In the time I have taken to
write this the brute struck us and the
ship quivered under the thud in
another moment mOnstrous arms
like trees seized the vessel, and she
keeled over; in another second the
monster was aboard, squeezed in be-
tween the two masts, Bill screaming,
"Slash for your lives; but all our
slashing was of no avail, for the
brute, holding on by his arms, slipped
his vast body overheard and pulled
the vessel down with him on her
beam ends. We were thrown into
the water at once; and just az l went
over, caught sight of one OF the
crew, either Bill or Tom Fielding,
squashed up between the mast and
one of those awful arms For few
seconds our ship lay on her beam
ends, then filled aud went down.
Another Of the crew must have been
sucked down, for you only picked up
five. The restyou know. can't tell
W bO run nm the anaiOn ~