G9 



these with places of actual danger, shows us that we can 

 never regard any object as non-existent, from the fact that 

 it has been but rarely seen. 



" I have no doubt that the society are sufficiently familiar 

 with the ordinary descriptions of the kraken and sea serpent 

 to be aware that their enormous dimensions are the great 

 stumbling-block to belief,' especially when combined with 

 the rarity and indefiniteness of their alleged appearance. 

 That a creature should visit the surface of the ocean whose 

 size and form can be described only by its resemblance to 

 an island, rearing its limbs in the air to the height of ships' 

 masts, or that another, of serpentine form and shape, whose 

 length is estimated at hundreds of feet, should be plainly 

 seen four or five times in the quarter of a century, and 

 neither of them leave, during the intervals of their appear- 

 ance, further trace of their existence, living or dead, does, 

 indeed, make large drafts on our faith ; yet, if arguments 

 can be derived from analogy showing that such existences 

 are neither impossible nor improbable, — that the difficulties 

 attendant on the rarity of their appearance may be met, — 

 still more, if it can be shown that, when stripped of exag- 

 geration (perhaps unavoidable), the dimensions of some of 

 these supposed monsters do not much, if at all, exceed those 

 of known creatures, — then the whole question will be one 

 of evidence, — open, deservedly, to rigid scrutiny, but not to 

 be rejected altogether because it may fail to clear up all that 

 is doubtful and obscure." 



It is clear that the arguments on this subject must be 

 two-fold. We must first remove, if we can, the more strik- 

 ing objections, so as to place the existence of marine mon- 

 sters within the list of possibilities, and then we must pro- 

 duce evidence to show progressively that it is a probability, 

 if not actually a, fact. The opposing argument drawn from 

 mere size is not insuperable, for though we are familiar 

 with the middle links in the chain of animal existence, we 



