r 



r 

 I 



V 



1*^ 



^ 



90 



IProf, Peck^s observations on the Sea Serpent 



bim very dark, almost black. It moved by vertical undulations of 

 tbe body and with great velocity, i. e. at the rate of a mile in four 

 minutes. 



In addition to Mr. Nash's account, eight 



t « • 



persons, citizens of 



y 



Gloucester,* Capt. Toppan and two of his people, on their voy- 

 age to Boston, have furnished their testimony on oath, of the pres- 



of this animal in the harbour of Gloucester 



d its 



'y 



+ 



from the 10th to the 28th inclusive, of Aujiust last and 



app 



^ 



by the affidavit of Capt. Finney, that it was seen by him in June 

 1815, in a cove on the Plymouth shore. 



The accounts of all these persons are very consistent ; to the 

 greater part it appeared to be straight, or without gibbosities or 

 protuberances on the back ; one person thought it had protuberan- 

 ces, but it seems probable that the upper flexures of its undula- 

 tions, occasioned this opinion. 



Its velocity is variously estimated ; by some it was thought to 

 move a mile in one minute, by others in three, four, or five min- 



utes. It has great lateral flexibility 



shewn by 



3 



d moving in an exactly contrary direction, advancing the 

 a line parallel with the body ; hence its undulations when 

 ^ater and equally surrounded by the medium, may be eith- 



vertical or horizontal at the will of 



The jud 



of its velocity, however, without knowing its precise diiii 

 without instruments to observe it, U extremely liable to 



In the testimonies above referred to, the imagination 

 have had no influence, and we certainly know from them, that 



and 



seems to 



of the animal to which they relate is 



isp 



we 



• Messrs. Story, Allen, Ellery, Foster, GafFnej, Mansfield, Johnson and 



Pearson. 



I 



i 



}. . 



t 



