THE GREAT UNKNOWN. 



which, together with the swell left by the subsi- 

 dence of the gale, gave it the sinuous, snake-like 

 motion. 



''But for the calm, which afforded Captain Her- 

 riman an opportunity of examining the weed, we 

 should have had another 'eye-witness' account of 

 the great sea-serpent, — Mr. Herriman himself ad- 

 mitting that he should have remained under the 

 impression that he had seen it. What appeared to 

 be head, crest, and mane of the inunensum volu- 

 men, was but the large root which floated up- 

 wards, and to which several pieces of the coral 

 reef still adhered. The captain had it hauled on 

 board, but, as it began to decay, was compelled 

 to throw it over. He now regrets that he had 

 not preserved it in a water-butt for the purpose 

 of exhibition in the Thames, where the conflicting 

 motion produced by the tide and steamers 

 would in all probability give it a like appear- 

 ance.* 



A new and unexpected interpretation was thus 

 •i'lvtMi to the observed phenomena; an interpreta- 

 tion which has been recently revived. For a 

 statement published in The Times of February 5, 

 1858, by Captain Harrington of the ship Caa- 

 1iU;ui, brought out another witness on the sea- 

 weed hypothesis. 



The statement alluded to was couched in the 

 form of an extract from a Meteorological Journal 

 kept on board the ship, the original of which was 

 sent to the Board of Trade. It was authenticated 

 by Captain Harrington, and his chief and second 

 officers. 



"Ship Cnstilian, Dec. 12, 1857; N.E. end of St. 

 Helena, distant ten miles. At 6.30 P.M., strong 



* Sun. July 9, 1849. 

 319 



