THE GREAT SEA SERPENT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume II, Issue 87, 4 September 1852, Page 5

THE GREAT SEA SERPENT.

As but few of our readers have, we dare say, seen the great sea serpent, and deeming it desirable that they should at once recognize the monster, should it deign to present itself to them on any voyage they may happen to take, we lay before them an accurate description of its appearance as represented by an American Sea Captain, who says he has captured one. We have no space to give a long account of this tremendous yarn, but simply premise that the monster was seen, was harpooned, and made off taking the small amount of a mile and a quarter of rope attached to the harpoon, and remained perpendicularly that distance below, amusing itself, for the space of eleven hours, when it re-appeared to see what was the matter. Whereupon various manoeuvres were executed to kill and catch the monster, hitherto deemed fabulous, and the Captain (Alunchausen) says: — "While we were at work he gradually rose to the surface, and around him floated what I took to be pieces of lungs, which we had cut with, our lances. To make our work sure we continued to lance, eagerly seeking for his life, when he drew himself up and we pulled away, and then witnessed the terrific dying struggles of the moiiSter. None of the crew who witnessed that dreadful scene will ever forget it ; the evolutions of the body were rapid as lightning, and seemed like the revolving of a thousand enormous black wheels. The tail and head would occasionally appear in the surging bloody foam, and a sound was heard, so dead, unearthly, and expressive of acute agony, that a thrill of horror ran through our veins. The convulsive efforts lasted ten or fifteen minutes, when they suddenly stopped; the head was partly raised —it fell—the body partly turned and lay still. I took off my hat, and nine terrific cheers broke simultaneously from our throats. Our prey was dead.

Luckily he floated buoyantly, and we took him alongside, and while doing so he turned over, lying belly up. Erery eye beamed with, joy as we looted at him over the rail, and the crew again cheered vociferously, and I joined them. We now held a consultation as to wha we should do, and I requested all hands to offer their opinions. After a short talk all of us felt convinced that it would be impossible to get him into port, and then we concluded to try and save his skin, head, and bones, if possible. la the first place, I requested a Scotchman, who could draw tolerably, to take a sketch of him as he lay, and the mate to measure him. It was now quite calm, and we could work to advantage. As lam -preparing a minute description of the serpent, I will merely give you a few general points. It was a male ; the length 103 feet 7 inches ; 19 feet 1 inch round the neck; 24 feet 6 inches round the shoulders; and the largest part of the body, which appeared somewhat distended, 49 feet 4 inches. The head was long and flat, with ridges; the bones of the lower jaw separate ; the tongue had its end like the head of a heart. The tail ran nearly to a point, on the end of which was a flat firm cartilage. The back was black, turning brown on the sides ; then yellow, and on the centre of the belly a narrow white streak two-thirds of its length; there were also scattered over the body dark spots. On examining the skin, we found, to our surprise, that the body was covered with blubber like that of the whale, but it was only four iuces thick. The oil was clear as water, and burned nearly as fast as spirits of turpentine.

We cut the snake up, but found great difficulty, and had to " flense" him. We took in the head, a frightful object, and are endeavouring to preserve it with sail. We have saved all the bones, which the men are nat done cleaning yet. One of the serpent's lungs was three feet longer than the other. I should have observed that there were 94 teeth in the jaws, very sharp, all pointing backward, and as large as one's thumb at the gum, but deeply and" firmly set. We found it had two spout holes, or spiracles, so it must breathe like a whale ; it also had four swimming paws, or imitations of paws, for they were like hard loose flesh. The joints of the back were loose, and it seemed as if, when it was swimming, that it moved two ribs of a joint at a time, almost like feet. The muscular movement of the serpent after it was dead made the body look as it" it were encircled by longitudinal ridges. We were nearly three days in

getting the bones in, but they are now nearly clean, and are very porous and dark coloured. The heart I was enabled to preserve in liquor and one of the eyes ; but the head, notwithstanding it is cool, begins to emit an offensive odour; but I am so near the coast now, that I shall hold on to it as it is, unless it is likely to breed a distenpev. Every man in the ship participates in my anxiety."