336 THE GREAT UNKNOWN. 



under water ; and, by comparing its length with that of 

 the Royal Saxon, (about six hundred feet,) when exactly 

 alongside in passing, we calculated it to be in that, as 

 well as in its other dimensions, greater than the animal 

 described by Captain M'Quhae. Should the foregoing 

 account be of any interest to you, it is at your service ; it 

 is an old story, but a true one. I am not quite sure of 

 our latitude and longitude at the time, nor do I exactly 

 remember the date, but it was about the end of July. — 

 R. Davidson, Superintending Surgeon, Nagpore Sub- 

 sidiary Force, Kamptee, Sd January, 1849." 



In the year 1852, the testimony of British officers was 

 again given to the existence of an enormous marine 

 animal of serpent form. The descriptions, however, shew 

 great discrepancy with that of the creature seen from the 

 Daedalus, and cannot be considered confirmatory of the 

 former account, otherwise than as proving that immense 

 unrecognised creatures of elongate form roam the ocean. 



Two distinct statements of the incident were published, 

 which I cite from the Zoologist (p. 8756) ; but one of 

 them had already appeared in The Times. 



Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Steele, of the Coldstream 

 Guards, thus writes : — 



" I have lately received the following account from my 

 brother. Captain Steele, 9 th Lancers, who, on his way out 

 to India in the Barham, saw the sea-serpent. Thinking 

 it might be interesting to you, as corroborating the ac- 

 count of the Dcedalus, I have taken the liberty of send- 

 ing you the extract from my brother's letter : — * On the 



