316 THE GREAT UNKNOWN. 



face of the sea, and, as nearly as we could approximate by 

 comparing it witli the length of what our maintopsail-yard 

 would shew in the water, there was at the very least sixty 

 feet of the animal afleur d'eau* no portion of which was, 

 to our perception, used in propelling it through the water, 

 either by vertical or horizontal undulation. It passed 

 rapidly, but so close under our lee quarter, that had it 

 been a man of my acquaintance, I should easily have 

 recognised his features with the naked eye ; and it did 

 not, either in approaching the ship or after it had passed 

 our wake, deviate in the slightest degree from its course 

 to the S.W., which it held on at the pace of from twelve 

 to fifteen miles per hour, apparently on some determined 

 purpose. 



"The diameter of the serpent was about fifteen or 

 sixteen inches behind the head, which was, without any 

 doubt, that of a snake ; and it was never, during the 

 twenty minutes that it continued in sight of our glasses, 

 once below the surface of the water ; its colour a dark 

 brown, with yellowish white about the throat. It had no 

 fins, but something like the mane of a horse, or rather a 

 bunch of sea-weed, washed about its back. It was seen 

 by the quarter-master, the boatswain's mate, and the man 

 at the wheel, in addition to myself and officers above- 

 mentioned. 



" I am having a drawing of the serpent made from a 

 sketch taken immediately after it was seen, which I hope 



* " At the swrface of tht water." What need there was to express this 

 ty y French phrase in an English report, is not obvioviB. 



