MR MANSFIELD'S OBSERVATION. 309 



until he passed by the place where I stood, and soon after 

 disappeared, was not more than fifteen or twenty minutes. 



" I left the place fully satisfied that the reports in cir- 

 culation, although differing in details, were essentially 

 correct. I returned to Boston, and having made my 

 report, I found Mrs Perkins and my daughters disposed 

 to make a visit to Gloucester with me when the return of 

 the animal should be again announced. A few days after 

 my return I went again to Cape Ann with the ladies ; we 

 had a pleasant ride, but returned ungratified in the object 

 which carried us there. 



" Whilst at Cape Ann I talked with many persons who 

 had seen the serpent, and among others with a person 

 of the name of Mansfield, one of the most respectable 

 inhabitants of the town. His account to me was, that 

 a few days before, as he was taking a ride with his wife in 

 a chair, the road taking them close to a bank which over- 

 looks the harbour, (and is nearly a perpendicular preci- 

 piece,) he saw an uncommon appearance, which induced 

 him to descend from the carriage, when he saw the sea- 

 serpent, in which until then he had been an unbeliever. 

 The animal was stretched out, partly over the white sandy 

 beach, which had four or five feet of water upon it, and 

 lay partly over the channel. He desired his wife to get 

 <! at of the chair, which she did. He said he had made up 

 his mind as to the length of the snake, but wished the 

 opinion of his wife on the same subject. He asked her 

 what she should consider his length ; she answered that 

 she could not undertake to say how many feet in length 



