Thursday, February 25

AQUATIC MONSTER


MUCH conversation and interest have recently been excited at New York, by the description of an aquatic monster seen in the Atlantic, by the captain, passengers, and crew of the ship Niagara. The relation appeared so fabulous, that it received little credit, until the principal persons made affidavit of what they had been eye witnesses to. The following is the substance of the depositions, as they appear in the New York papers :

Affidavits.

"G. Bailey, late master of the ship Amsterdam packet, Wm. R. Handy, late master of the ship Lydias, and Adam Knox, late master of the schooner Augusta, all belonging to New York : Have deposed before me, Wm. Bleecker, notary public, that they were passengers on board the ship Niagara, which arrived at New York from Lisbon, on the 26th April ; that on the 8th April, being in lat. 43º 49', long. 48º at meridian, saw a large lump on the horizon, bearing N.W. distant six or eight miles, which they supposed to be the hull of a large ship, bottom upwards when within gun-shot of it, discovered that it had motion; and on a nearer approach, found it to be a FISH, apparently tuo hundred feet in length, about 30 broad, and from 17 to 38 feet high in the centre: its back appeared covered with a shell, formed similar to the planks of a clinker-built vessel near the head, on the right side, was, a large hole or archway, covered occasionally with a fin, which was at times eight or ten feet out of water: these deponents intended to have sent the boat to make farther discoveries, but were deterred by perceiving that the monster was moving, and that he occasioned a great rippling and current in the sea, which would, had it approached much nearer, have endangered the boat and the vessel. At one time, they approached within thirty yards of it."

From: Page 47 of The Naval Chronicle, for 1813; VOL. XXX. (From July to December.)

2 comments:

  1. Your sea serpent book review cannot be read.

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    1. The review on the Sea Serpent book got re-scheduled and will be posting on 3/11. :)

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