THE GREAT UNKNOWN. 



its movement was steady and uniform, as it pro- 

 pelled by tins, not by any undulatory power.'* 



Further correspondence ensued, but no addi- 

 tional light of any importance was shed on the 

 matter, except that Captain Smith stated that 

 the diameter of his sea- weed capture in the water, 

 before it was "divested of its extraordinary-look- 

 ing living appendages," was three feet. 



A large mass of evidence has been accumulated; 

 and I now set myself to examine it. In so doing, 

 I shall eliminate from the inquiry all- the testi- 

 mony of Norwegian eye-witnesses, that obtained 

 in Massachusetts in 1817, and various statements 

 made by French and American captains since. 

 Confining myself to English witnesses of known 

 character and position, most of them being officers 

 under the crown, I have adduced the following 

 testimonies : — 



1. That of five British officers, who saw the 

 animal at Halifax, N. S., in 1888. 



2. That of Captain M'Quhae and his officers, 

 who saw it from the Daedalus In L848. 



3. That of Captain Beechey, who saw some- 

 thing similar from the Blossom. 



4. That of Mr. Morries Stirling, who saw it in 

 a Norwegian fjord. 



5. That of Mr. Davidson, who saw it from the 

 Royal Saxon, in 1829. 



6. That of Captain Steele and others, who saw 

 it from the Barham, in 1852. 



7. That of Captain Harrington and his officers, 

 who saw it from the Castilian, in 1857. 



Carefully comparing these independent narra- 



* The Times of Feb. 16, 1858. 

 323 



