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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXV, Issue 213, 8 September 1891, Page 2

S.S. Rotomahana, Auokland, Sept. Ist, 1891. 0. Hunter-Brown, Esq., Dear Sir,— l only received your esteemed letter on Satnrday last on my arrival at Wellington, and consequently had no previous opportunity of replying to it. In the matter of the Sea Serpent I find you are under a Blight misapprehension as to the date on which the said creature is supposed to have been seen. It was on the morning of August Ist, and not July 24, as stated in your letter. I will now endeavour to acoount for the discrepancy in the time of the gun rising. You will therefore pardon me if I go slightly into figures. You are no doubt aware that one uniform time is kept throughout the oolony o( New Zealand, This time is token from Long. 1723. 30 E. llbrs. 30mins, ahead of Qreenook time. This is called New Zealand mean time. Now although this does not differ very muoh from the time at your location (Nelson) it differs very widely irom tbat of Portland Island in Long. 177n. 63 E, the aotual difierenoe of time boiDg 20mins. and six seconds. The equation of time six minutes two seconds (6tn. 25.) is also to be subtracted from mean time on the above date, thia makes the actual difference on August Ist 26mins. Bgeos. (twenty-six minutes and eight seoonds). I have oaloulated the time of sunrise at Portland Island for the above date, and find it to be 6'45 a.m. Now, as neither tho chief officer or quartermaster appear to have looked at the olook and noted the time, they would most prob' ably be some minuteß in error. They only say the time of the ooourrenoo was about half-past six ; they both, however, state that the sun was above the horizon, thus dearly showing that it was later than they thought. With regard to the oreature itself, I feel quite certain that the men did see some extraordinary marine monster ; they could have no possible object in deceiving any one, and as they are both intelligent and experienced seamen, they would not be likely to mistake any floating substance for a fish. I myself have frequently seen logs and trunks o£ Uses fitting about, and 1 tiad. that many

of those who have written letters on the snbjeot seem to favour the idea that it could have been nothing more than the trunk of a tree, tossed about by the waves, But I must confess that I have never seen a log* that possessed the power of propelling itself at a rapid rate through the water across a ship's track, or rear itself on end occasionally and then disappear under the water. The quartermaster who called the chief officer's attention to it describes it very minutely* and as it passed within 100 yards of the ship he had a good look at it. He describes it as having a round or cylindrical body, black or dark brown on the back and white underneath, with two long fins near the. head ; also white underneath. The chief officer only saw it onoe, but gives a perfectly 'similar description. His reason for not calling me was that I had been on the bridge for the greatest part of the day and all the previous night ; he, in fact, having relieved me at 4 a.m. when the ship was off Portland Island and on her course jfor Napier. A heavy southerly gale had been blowing since noon of the previous day, but had then greatly moderated. I very much regret, however, that I was not called to see it. Hoping I have made myself clear to you about the date and the apparent discrepancy as to the difference of the time of sunrise, which means the difference between New Zealand Mean time and Local Mean time, I remain, Dear Sir, Yours Faithfully, A, Kennedy, Master S.B. "Rotomahaua." P.S.— I have written the above hurriedly to catch the mail, but you are at liberty to make whatever use you please of the information therein. a.K,