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Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 14, Issue 1144, 15 April 1870, Page 2

The Sea. Serpent AoAiN<r—Everybody will be glad to hear that -the .sea serpent has turned up again, and what makes the intelligence doubly gratifying is. that, not only does it seem in good health and; spirits, but since we last heard bf it it has given birth to a small serpent. There cau be little doubt that- the domestic arrangements consequent upon this interesting event have been the cause of its temporary seclusion. Captain Allen, of the barque Scottish Bride, was. fortunate enough to meet the mother and her child on the 23rd of last month, in latitude 33.16, longitude 74.09, and full accounts of the appearance of both are given in the American papers. It appears that Captain Allen (who has been "interviewed" on the subject by the Commercial Advertiser) was in his cabin at dinner when he was summoued on deck .by his second mate. There he found the crew assembled on the starbord side of the vessel, looking with " awe-stricken" faces into the water. He also joined them, and a sight met his eye, the , memory of Wiiich, he says, will never fade. About four feet from the vessel lay the monster, " accompanied by a smaller;, specimen 6f its own species." Ifc (the mother serpent) was about 25 feet in length, and proportionately thick ; its head was very large, and flat, while at each side, on the extreme edge, were set two brilliant scintillating eyes, " looking dangerous and wicked. Its back was covered with large scales, like the crocodile, about three inches in length, which hooked together and formed an impenetratable armour. Its belly was of a tawny yellow colour, and altogether hideous. The child serpent was but a few feet in length,. "but in shape and colour closely resembled its mother. The captain gave orders to have a boat lowered tp attack the monster, but the little serpent was too sharp for him. Its attention had by this time been called to the presence of the vessel ; it raised its head a few inches above the surface and then went towards its parent, and seemed to. tell her of the circumstance; upon which she immediately disappeared, head downwards, her body describing a circle like', -a hook, thus exposing to view her tail, which Capt. Allen says tapered off to a point. . The caliu that had beset the. vessel now gave way to a storm, much to the alarm of the sailors, who during the whole of the next night would not go on deck without lanterns, such was the fear of again meeting this disagreeable creature with her offspring. The officers and crew of the ship testify, we are told, to the truth of the story in all its essential points. — Pall Mall Gazette. Eabthquakes and Abtesian Wells. — The following letter appears in the TLyt' telton Times. — " Shortly after the rather violent shock of earthquake experienced here last May, it was currently reported that Dr. Hector had predicted that, owing to the enormous increase in the number of ->, artesian wells which were being sunk and left continually, running, if any shocks occurred, they would be felt more seriously from time to time. It appears to me that if Dr. Hector really. did warn thoGovernr ment to the above effect, his predictions seem to be fulfilled. Whether this is the case or not, there can be no doubt that, we do have shocks "more frequently, arid they are felt more and do more damage than was the case formerly. If the artesian wells are doing harm, I think that there can be no doubt that some appreciable effectmust be produced on the level of the surface of the whole disti-ict, so thickly perforated with these wells, and if sb, the sooner it is known, and the fact established* the better, as the evil (ii it exists) is con- . tinuous, and? might be checked before serious injury isVdone. I believe Very careful levels have been .taken all over .the fif city, and if these are connected with' tiM? fixed high water datum point in Lyttelton^ a very small amount of labour would show '7 if any change in level has taken place, and satisfy the doubts of a large number of the K. community on this very important point." - if