Bigelow on the Sea Serpent. 161 
by two or three hundred persons on the beach and on the 
heights each side, some of whom were very favourably situ- 
ated to observe him. si Bic 
‘ I am, very respectfully, 
Your obedient servant, 
SAMUEL CABOT. 
Col. T. H. Perkins. 
It is almost superfluous to add, that Mr. Cabot and his friend Col. Perkins; 
are gentlemen of the first standing and consideration — Editor. 
I, Hawkins Wheeler, of Fairfield, in the county of Fair- 
field, and state of Connecticut, mariner, commander of the 
sloop Concord, of said Fairfield, in her late passage from 
New-York to Salem, in the county of Essex and Common- 
wealth of Massachusetts, on oath declare, that during the 
said passage from New-York to Salem, to wit, on Monday, 
the 6th day of June instant, at about 5 o’clock in the morn- 
ing, the sloop being, as near as I could judge, 15 miles N. 
W. of Race Point, and within sight of Cape Ann, I was at 
the helm of the sloop, and saw, directly a-head, (the course 
of the vessel being N. W.) something that resembled a 
Snake, about 100 yards distant from the sloop, moving in a 
S. W. direction. The animal moved in that direction, till 
he had passes athwart the course of the sloop, and appeared 
directly over the weather bow, when he altered his course 
to S. E. At this time he had been visible about five min- 
utes, when he sunk, and in about six or eight minutes after, 
appeared again directly over the weather quarter, about the 
same distance from the sloop—he continued in that course 
about five or six minutes, when he sunk again, and I saw him 
no more. His motion was at the rate of about four miles an 
hour, when he passed ahead; but after he appeared again 
on the quarter, his motion was lessrapid. To the best of 
my judgment he was not more than 100 yards from ‘the ves- 
sel—the weather was good and clear—it was almost calm, 
with a light air of wind from the S. the vessel was going 
about two knots—I had a fair and distinct view of the crea- 
ture, and from his appearance am satisfied that it was of the 
serpent kind. ‘The creature was entirely black; the head, 
which perfectly resembled a snake’s, was elevated from four 
to seven feet above the surface of the water, and his back 
appeared to be composed of bunches or humps, apparently 
Vou. UL.,...No. 1. 21 
