THAT SEA SERPENT.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144131, 28 June 1913, Page 4

THAT SEA SERPENT.

“A LONG STRING OF SEALS.” AVEIRD STORY BLOAVN OUT. PORT PIRIE (S.A.), June 20. Tho officers and crew of the Blue Funnel steamer Alconous, which arrived from Brisbane yesterday, tell a'story which probably throws some light on the alleged sea serpent seen by the passengers and crew* of the Diraboola last month, when steaming through the Australian Bight. Those on the Alconous tell a rather remarkable story of tho affair. On tho voyage through tho Bight the helmsman saw a peculiar object in the distance. He caller! the attention of the officers to the fact, and at the time they felt convinced that they were watching a sea serpent. AA’ith tho aid of glasses they made out tho object to bo a huge fish, which they believed to be about 100 yards long. Those on board became quite excited as the monster neared the ship, hut presently they were surprised to see quite close to them another long series of fish. At once they recognised this as a large school of .seals following each other in rows of about three deep. They were bobbing in and olifc of the water and in tho distance much, resembled a huge fish. Dr. Montgomery, who is the surgeon on the Alcenous, said, when he first saw tho object ho believed it to bo the sea serpent seen by those on the Dimboola. That steamer did not get nearer than half a mile to it, and he can quite understand them believing it to be a serpent at that distance. “It certainly did appear like one to us,” he said, “and when the object came close to the ship’s side we were i surprised to find that tho long, slimy thing'was a shoal of seals.”