[Illustration: FIG. 70.--SEA-SERPENT SEEN BY THE CREW OF H.M.S. "DÆDALUS,"
IN 1848.]
This drawing was figured in the _Illustrated London News_ in illustration
of a short but very valuable memoir, and is reproduced upon a smaller
scale here.
A similar, perhaps the same, monster was fallen in with at a slightly
later date, 20° further south, as described in a letter addressed to the
editor of the _Globe_.
_Mary Ann of Glasgow._
Glasgow, Oct. 19, 1848.
SIR,--I have just reached this port, on a voyage from Malta to Lisbon,
and my attention having been called to a report relative to an animal
seen by the master and crew of Her Majesty's ship _Dædalus_, I take
the liberty of communicating the following circumstance:--
"When clearing out of the port of Lisbon, upon the 30th of September
last, we spoke the American brig _Daphne_, of Boston, Mark Trelawny
master; she signalled for us to heave to, which we did, and standing
close round her counter lay to while the mate boarded us with the
jolly boat, and handed a packet of letters, to be despatched per first
steamer for Boston on our arrival in England. The mate told me that
when in lat. 4° 11' S., long. 10° 15' E., wind dead north, upon the
20th of September, a most extraordinary animal had been seen. From his
description, it had the appearance of a huge serpent or snake, with a
dragon's head.
"Immediately upon its being seen, one of the deck guns was brought to
bear upon it, which, having been charged with spike-nails and whatever
other pieces of iron could be got at the moment, was discharged at the
animal, then only distant about forty yards from the ship. It
immediately reared its head in the air, and plunged violently with its
body, showing evidently that the charge had taken effect. The _Daphne_
was to leeward at the time, but was put about on the starboard tack,
and stood towards the brute, which was seen foaming and lashing the
water at a fearful rate. Upon the brig nearing, however, it
disappeared, and, though evidently wounded, made rapidly off at the
rate of fifteen or sixteen knots an hour, as was judged from its
appearing several times upon the surface. The _Daphne_ pursued for
some time; but the night coming on, the master was obliged to put
about and continue his voyage.
From the description given by the mate, the brute must have been
nearly a hundred feet long, and his account of it agrees in every
respect with that lately forwarded to the Admiralty by the master of
the _Dædalus_.
JAMES HENDERSON, _Master_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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