162 Bigelow on the Sea Serpent. 
about as large as, ora little larger than a half barrel; I think 
J saw as many as ten or twelve, but did not count them’ pd 
considered them to be caused by the undulatory motion of 
the animal—the tail was not visible, but from the head te 
the last hump that could be seen, was, | should judge, 50 
feet. The first view I had of him appeared like a string of 
empty barrels tied together, rising over what little swell of 
the sea there was. What motion I could discern in the 
body of the animal was undulatory, but he evidently moved 
his tail under water, and the ripples produced by it indicated 
a sweeping motion, making a wake as large as that made by 
the sloop. 
HAWKINS WHEELER. 
Essex, ss. June 9th, 1819.—Then Hawkins Wheeler per- 
sonally appeared, and made oath that the foregoing affida- _ 
vit by bim subscribed, contains the truth, the whole truth, 
and nothing but the truth. Before me, 
THEODORE EAMES, Justice of the Peace. 
¥, Gersham Bennett, of Fairfield, in the county of Fair- 
field, and*state of Connecticut, mariner, on oath declare, 
that E was mate of the sloop Concord, Hawkins Wheeler, 
master, in her late passage from New-York to Salem, Mass. 
that on Monday, the 6th day of June inst. at seven o’clock 
in the morning, I was on the deck of the sloop, sitting on 
the hatches—the vessel was steering N. W. and was then 
about eighteen miles from Race Point—the man at the 
helm made an outcry, and said there was something along- 
side that he wanted me to Icok at. I looked, and saw 
something on the larboard side of the vessel, about twelve 
rods, certainly not exceeding fourteen, from the vessel, that 
resembled a serpent or snake. I immediately arose and 
went to the side of the vessel, and took a position on the 
rough-tree, holding on by the shrouds; I there saw a ser- 
pent of an enormous size and uncommon appearance, upon 
the water; his head was about the length of the anchor 
_ stock above the surface of the water, viz. about seven feet. 
T looked at the anchor stock at the time, and formed my 
opinion by comparing the two objects. The weather was 
very clear and good, and the water almost calm ; and I had, 
I think, as good a view of the animal as if I had been with- 
in two rods of him. The colour of the animal throughout, 
