On the Sea-Serpent of the American Seas. 127 



ed, it is not surprising that doubt should be a principal, nay, 

 a necessary, qualification of the student of Nature. Yet we 

 cannot but think that the scientific world in general has been 

 too incredulous concerning the sea-serpent, seeing the mass of 

 concurrent testimony which has been adduced to prove its ex- 

 istence. It is certainly true that vague reports had been 

 spread abroad with regard to this enormous animal long ere 

 any just foundation was afforded for them, and indeed before 

 we had heard of any who professed to have seen it. This 

 may have very far conduced to produce that scepticism which 

 now is perfectly unwarrantable. We are so accustomed, 

 whenever the subject is introduced in conversation, to couple 

 it with the preposterous fables of the Kraken, that it would 

 be extremely difficult to break down the barriers against be- 

 lief which prejudice has so long assisted to support. The ac- 

 counts of the most credible witnesses have thus been rejected, 

 although, " to make assurance doubly sure,^ the generality of 

 them have been taken upon oath. 



So many wonderful discoveries, both in the arts and sciences, 

 have been made within the last century, that it is astonishing 

 how the existence of the sea-serpent has been supposed either 

 so marvellous or impossible. Time has satisfactorily proved 

 the veracity of Bruce, and we must leave it to time to do the 

 same office with regard to the beholders of this " wonder of 

 the deep." Is this monster more disproportionate to the ex- 

 tent of the sea than the elephant to that of the land ? or, it 

 may be asked, has it a solid bulk, (even according to late most 

 extravagant accounts,) nearly approaching in magnitude to 

 that of the whale ? Geology has been infinitely more fortunate 

 than zoology in many respects; theories only partially sus- 

 tained have been received ; and while the recent discoveries of 

 the Plesiosaurus and Megalosaurus have made demands upon 

 our powers of credence far greater than the serpent^ the de- 

 scriptions of the latter animal have received very little trust, 

 and even much ridicule and contempt. In general, however, 

 it must be confessed, that people do not object to the extra- 

 ordinary proportions of such a creature, so much as to Avhat 

 they consider the want of respectable and satisfactory evi- 

 dence. We trust to advance, in the sequel, such additional v 



