THE ROMANCE OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



and four inches diameter; the root end appeared 

 when in the water like the head of an animal, and 

 the motion given by the sea caused it to seem 

 alive. In a few days it dried up to a hollow tube, 

 and as it had rather an offensive smell was 

 thrown overboard. I had only been a short 

 time in England when the Dwdalus arrived 

 and reported having seen the great sea-ser- 

 pent—to the best of my recollection near the 

 same locality, and which I have no doubt 

 was a piece of the same weed. So like a huge 

 living monster did this appear, that had cir- 

 cumstances prevented my sending a boat to it, 

 I should certainly have believed I had seen the 

 great sea-snake." 



The last imputation called up "An officer of 

 H.M.S. Dsedalus," whose testimony puts bora de 

 combat the sea- weed hypothesis in that renowned 

 case. I need not give it at length, the following 

 sentences sufficing:— "The object seen from ELM. 

 ship was, beyond all question, a living animal, 

 moving rapidly through the water against a cross 

 sea, and within five points of a fresh breeze, with 

 such velocity that the water was surging under 

 its chest, as it passed along at a rate probably of 

 ten miles per hour. Captain M'Quhae's first im- 

 pulse was to tack in pursuit, . . . but he reflected 

 that we could neither lay up for it nor overhaul 

 it in speed. There was nothing to be done, there- 

 fore, but to observe it as accurately as we could 

 with our glasses, as it came up under our lee 

 quarter and passed away to windward, at its 

 nearest position being not more than two hun- 

 dred yards from us ; the eye, the mouth, the nos- 

 tril, the colour and form, all being most distinctly 

 visible to us. . . . My impression was that it was 

 rather of a lizard than a serpentine character, as 

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