354 History of Sea-Serpentism. 



Sea- Serpent. She was mostly employed in carrying coun- 

 try produce to the New-York market, and in bringing ma- 

 nure back, with the advantage of passengers when any of- 

 fered. This boat was on her way from Mamaroneck harbor 

 or thereabout toward the city, and was met by a sloop from 

 that place, a short distance from City Island. The captain 

 of the latter, on arriving at home, was eagerly interrogated by 

 a quidnunc for news; and being a man of some humor and 

 fancy, told his neighbor, the querist, he had just seen the 

 sea-serpent. He then described, how (alluding to the bar- 

 rels on deck) he had seen the bunches on his back ; how high 

 the head (meaning the bowsprit) was out of water ; how the 

 black and white colors (meaning the painted waist) were vari- 

 egated ; how he saw the lashing of the tail, (meaning the mo- 

 tion of the boom in jibing as she was going along before a fair 

 easterly wind ;) that this sea-serpent was proceeding with a 

 speed equalling at least from five to six knots an hour, which 

 made all white before him, (meaning the foam at the bows.) 

 The good man took the joke in real earnest, went away and 

 told it to a sensible acquaintance. This latter wrote a for- 

 mal and solemn account of it ; which, travelling an extensive 

 round in the sheets of intelligence, was finally embodied in 

 the aforesaid book, where it is registered as a part of the ev- 

 idence. 



(c) It was about this period of these transactions that I re- 

 ceived from Boston an ichthyological production, enclosed 

 in a letter, respectfully written, and with postage paid, sub- 

 mitting to me whether that article was not a piece of the sea- 

 serpent's hide ? It had been found on the shore of the region 

 which the alarming visitor frequented ; and was supposed to 

 have been separated from his body by one of the musket 

 balls which had been fired at him, and washed ashore. To 

 this serious communication, I returned for answer that it was 

 simply a portion of skin with closely adhering scales, belong- 

 ing to the bony-scaled pike, (Esox asseus,) an inhabitant of 

 the Atlantic ocean. 



(d) So much curiosity and excitement were now raised, 

 about the sea-serpent, that he was a prominent topic of con- 

 versation. The feeling was more intense, inasmuch as it 

 was confidently declared he had been frequently observed 

 near boats and vessels. It was at length concluded to fit 

 out an expedition, expressly for the purpose of catching him, 

 with a select crew, under the command of Captain Rich. 



