320 THE GEEAT UNKNOWN. 



years,) as well as a friend who was with me, an experienced 

 Norwegian sportsman and porpoise shooter, saw the same 

 appearance at the same time, and formed the same opinion 

 as to form and size. I mention my friend being a porpoise 

 shooter, as many have believed that a shoal of porpoises 

 following each other has given rise to the fable, as they 

 called it, of the sea-serpent." * 



A writer in The Times of November 2, 1848, under 

 the signature of " F. G. S.," also suggested affinity with 

 the Enaliosauri, and particularly adduced the fossil genus 

 Plesiosaiirus as presenting the closest resemblance. 

 " One of the greatest difficulties," observes this writer, 

 " on the face of the narrative [of Captain M'Quhse], and 

 which must be allowed to destroy the analogy of the 

 motions of the so-called ' sea-serpent ' with those of all 

 known snakes and anguilliform fishes, is that no less 

 than sixty feet of the animal were seen advancing dfieur 

 d'eau at the rate of from twelve to fifteen miles an hour, 

 without it being possible to perceive, upon the closest 

 and most attentive inspection, any undulatory motion to 

 which its rapid advance could be ascribed. It need 

 scarcely be observed that neither an eel nor a snake, if 

 either of those animals could swim at all with the neck 

 elevated, could do so without the front part of its body 

 being thrown into undulation by the propulsive efforts of 

 its tail" 



He then inquires to what class of animals it could have 

 belonged, and thus proceeds : — 



♦ Illustrated London News, Oct. 28, 1848. 



