THE SEA-SERPENT. 93 



I consider tliis a mistaken opinion, as during the whole 

 of our voyage I saw notliing to corroborate it. I 

 liave seen sperm wliales at dusk, and in the night, 

 and they were always on the move, and could not 

 he discerned the following morning from the mast- 

 head. 



During this month we gammoned the barque 

 Lexington, of New Bedford. This vessel w^as in a 

 wretched state, and apprehensions were expressed by 

 her crew that some misfortune would befall her: she 

 leaked immoderately, was strained and very weak, 

 and her rigging was so shattered thatthey were unable 

 to carry sail, except in moderate wreath er. Whilst in 

 company with us she could not hold her position, 

 and drifted broadside off to leew^ard. Subsequently 

 her captain carried her into Mauritius, where she was 

 condemned, and sold, only to be refitted as a colonial 

 whaler. 



One day, while most of the crcAv were listlessly 

 reclininw; on the decks, the extreme heat renderins: 

 exertion fatiguing, we were startled by old Jack 

 singing out from aloft, " The sea-serpent, the sea- 

 serpent!" On leaping into the rigging, we saw close 

 to us a long, slender object, in form resembling a 

 snake. It was of a bright scarlet color, and, although 

 it moved, I think its motion was produced by the 

 undulation of the waves, and although Jack assured 

 us that he had often seen them much larger, and was 

 willing to take his Bible oath that this was the identi- 

 cal sea-serpent about which so many newspaper 

 articles are written, I am still inclined to think that 

 it was some marine vegetable production. It was 



