On the Sea-Serpent of the American Seas. 131 



nett of Boston about five years back ; but as I assured him I 

 had never heard previously even the report of such a monster, 

 and that I was an Englishman, he gave full credit to it. The 

 sketch I gave him also corresponded with the description that 

 was circulated at that time. The humps on the back resem- 

 bled in size and shape those of the dromedary. I remain, 

 Dear Sir, yours respectfully, 



" Wtlliam Warburton." 



To the interesting facts above-mentioned, we are happy in 

 having it in our power to add some extracts from a letter 

 written by our excellent friend Dr Boott of Boston, now resi- 

 dent in London, whose brother had an opportunity of witnes- 

 sing this remarkable animal. After some general remarks, Dr 

 Boott proceeds to express himself in the following terms : 



" All that I could collect upon the subject was sent to Sir 

 Joseph Banks, with whom I had repeated conversations about 

 the animal, and the respectability of the individvals who af- 

 firmed to the sight of him. The great mass of evidence is to 

 be found in the pamphlet published by the Linnean Society 

 of New England. The question as to the real appearance of 

 a large serpent off the coast of Massachusetts, was put to rest 

 by that publication. There could be no doubt of the fact, and 

 the testimony of thousands who saw the animaljfor one or two 

 years afterwards, must have been sufficient to satisfy the most 

 incredulous. 



" I believe I was one of the first who mentioned to Sir 

 Joseph Banks, that a large serpent had been seen on the Ame- 

 rican coast ; at all events, I distinctly remember that when I 

 first spoke to him on the subject, he was incredulous, and 

 showed me a plate of a similar animal in Pontopiddan's History 

 of Norway. I myself had no doubt of the truth of the as- 

 sertions of the early observers of it, for many of them were 

 known to me, and I was anxious to convince Sir Joseph of the 

 discovery of a new and remarkable animal. I therefore was 

 in the habit of sending him every information I could collect 

 respecting it. In one of my last visits to Boston, I gathered 

 testimony from individuals, and from the public papers, and 

 was happy to find, on my return to Europe, that Sir Joseph 



