22 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST 



occurred on the high seas during our second voyage 

 thither. 



On the 7th December, 1905, when in latitude 

 7 14' S., longitude 34 25' W., and about fourteen 

 miles from the coast of Brazil near Para, a creature 

 of most extraordinary form and proportions was 

 sighted by two of us. At the time we were under 

 sail only, and were slowly making our way to 

 Bahia. It was at about 10 o'clock in the morning, 

 and I was leaning on the rail of the poop deck, 

 when a large fin suddenly appeared close to the 

 ship at a distance of about fifty yards. This fin 

 resembled that of no fish I had previously seen, 

 and I pointed it out immediately to Mr. E. G. B. 

 Meade-Waldo, who was on deck with me at the 

 time, and we watched it together for several 

 minutes. As we passed slowly by, a long eel-like 

 neck surmounted by a head, shaped somewhat 

 like that of a turtle, rose out of the water in front 

 of the fin. This creature remained in sight for a 

 few minutes, but we soon drew ahead of it, and it 

 became lost to view owing to the ripple of the 

 water. Owing to the fact that we were under sail 

 at the time, it was not possible to go about and 

 make a closer inspection, and with great regret 

 we had to be content with the view we had had of 

 this remarkable monster. 



A full account of it was given at a meeting of 

 the Zoological Society of London, on 19th June, 

 1906, and I quote below from the report which was 



