'THE GREAT SEA SERPENT: 251 



as already observed in the opening of chap, xiii., almost 

 to the ienorin^ of the true sea snakes, which are too often 

 included among the mythical. 



Briefly to enumerate some of those which appear to have 

 recently had the chiefest claims to attention as really living 

 creatures, otherwise than flights of birds or shoals of fish, 

 but making due allowance for unscientific observations, and 

 vague or exaggerated representations, we find that gigantic 

 marine animals were observed as follows : — 



1734. Off Greenland. 



1 740. Off Norway ; described by Bishop Pontoppidan as 600 feet in length. 



1809. Off the Hebrides. 



1815. Near Boston, U.S. 



1 81 7. Ditto. 



1819. Ditto. From 80 to 250 yards in length ! 



1 8 19. One seen for a month off Norway. 



1822. Ditto ; and again 600 feet long. 



1827. Ditto. 



1829. Mr. Davidson, surgeon, R.N., described one seen in the Indian seas 

 as precisely similar to that seen afterwards from the Dccdalus in 1848. He 

 wrote of it during the controversy that passed regarding the latter. Mr. Gosse 

 regarded his testimony as of much value. 



1833. One seen by five British officers off Halifax, and described by P. H. 

 Gosse. 



1837. Again off Norway. 



1846. Off Norway, and in the same locality as one seen about one hundred 

 years previously ; also during the hottest part of the summer. This individual 

 had two ' fins,' and ' the movements were like those of a snake forty to fifty feet 

 long.' 



1848. The one seen from the Dadaltis. 



1850. Off Norway. 



1 85 1. Ditto. 



1S52. One described by Captain Steele, mentioned by Gosse. 



1857. One described by Captain Harrison, and considered trustworthy evi- 

 dence. 



1875. One seen from the Pauline, July 8, in lat. 5' Z^ S., long. 35" W. 

 Also on July 13, ' a similar serpent ' seen from the same barque Pauline. 



1875. September 11. 'An enormous marine salamander' in the Straits of 

 Malacca, seen from the Nestor. 



