352 History of Sea-Serpentism. 



to great extent, containing the particulars of what the seve- 

 ral deponents believed they had seen. And, as far as swear- 

 ing went, such solemn declarations presented a strong case. 

 Their operation however upon my mind was, that there was 

 nothing better to show than those statements upon paper ; 

 which were, in no sense of the words, proofs of the facts, but 

 merely expressions of the opinions formed by the deposing 

 witnesses of what they had observed in the water. I, who 

 was a believer in the first instance, was gradually sworn into 

 scepticism ; which finally ended in incredulity. 



About this stage of the panic. General David Humphreys 

 did me the honor of a visit, and requested me to listen while 

 he read a manuscript. To this I instantly consented. I dis- 

 covered that my distinguished friend had visited Massachu- 

 setts for the express purpose of collecting all the testimojiy 

 he could find concerning the Sea-Serpent. He was h/ghiy 

 delighted with his success ; and had reduced hi- researches 

 into the form of letters addressed to Sir Joseph Banks, then 

 President of the London Royal Society. He evidently in- 

 tended to take the lead of th»^ Linnean Society, and to ac- 

 quire the honor and glory of makmg the wonderful intelli- 

 gence known first to the sQavans of Europe. He did not 

 vouchsafe, even to name me in the communi<'.ation. After 

 a very pleasant interview, during which I found that he posi- 

 tively considered himself right in the investigation, and I de- 

 termined on my part to enter into no discussion about it, he 

 requested me to receive the writing, and engage some book- 

 seller to cause it to be put to press without delay. The rea- 

 son for this was, that he was obliged to return forthwith to 

 New-Haven. I made a contract "in his behalf, and directed 

 the proof sheets to be sent to him there. I had a lucky es- 

 cape from an association with the extraordinary creature. 



Afterwards, a mutiiated specimen of a snake, killed on the 

 land, somewhere thereabout, was brought to me preserved 

 in alcoholic spirit. This had been exiiibited as the spawn 

 or young of the Great Scoliophis. The head, which con- 

 tains the strong ophioloffical characters, had been crushed 

 and destroyed. But, as far as I could judge, from the for- 

 mation of the belly and tail, it had been a native of the land, 

 (apparently a coluber,) and had, of course, no pretension to 

 claim kindred with its pretended parent of the ocean. 



I was the better enabled, I thought, to form a more cor- 

 rect opinion, relative to the matter, by reason of my posses- 



