Reptiles. 3427 



The native continued to look with eagerness, pushed on by the observations of the crew, 

 who asserted that he had seen nothing, but he proved the truth of his sight in a few 

 minutes by uttering another cry, and with more vehemence than the first. I rushed 

 on deck, and the first look, not a mile to leeward, rested on the strangest creature I 

 had ever seen in the ocean. It was apparently still, but 'sobbing' up and down, as 

 we say of sperm whales. I knew it was not a whale. The head I could not see, but 

 the body had a motion like the waving of a rope when shaken and held in the hand. 

 Every eye in the ship regarded it attentively, and not a word was spoken or sound ut- 

 tered. In a few minutes the whole length of the body rose and lay on the water ; it 

 was of an enormous length. Presently the extremity or tail moved or vibrated, agi- 

 tating the water, and then the head rose entirely above the water, and moved sideways 

 slowly, as if the monster was in agony or suffocating. 'It is a sea serpent !' I ex- 

 claimed ; 'stand by the boats.' There was a hesitancy, and the mate said, ' Of what 

 use is there lowering for him ? We only lose time, and gain nothing besides.' I ab- 

 ruptly checked him, and ordered all hands to be called aft. When they had mustered 

 I told them I wished to ' try ' that fellow. I urged them with all the eloquence I pos- 

 sessed, telling them there were but few who believed in the existence of the sea ser- 

 pent, and that a wish had been expressed that a whale-ship might fall in with one of 

 them — that if we did not attack him, and should tell of seeing him when we got home, 

 we should be laughed at and derided — and the very first question would be, 'Why 

 didn't you try him ? ' I told them our courage was at stake — our manhood, and even 

 the credit of the whole American whale-fishery, and concluded by appealing to their 

 cupidity — holding out that we might possibly get him into some southern port. ' I do 

 not order one of you to go in the boats,' I said, ' but who will volunteer?' Let me say 

 to their credit, every American in the ship stepped out at once, followed by all but one 

 native and two Englishmen. I ordered the boat-steerers and officers to examine and 

 see that everything in and about the boats was in perfect order. I had already jumped 

 into my boat when the serpent began to move quite rapidly, and it was necessary to 

 stand after him. The wind was piping up strongly, but as we gained I continued to 

 carry all sail, hoping to be able to lower before the gale rendered it impossible. The 

 serpent worked to windward, which compelled me to haul on the wind, and soon after 

 I carried away my fore topgallant mast; this was most unlucky for us, and, what was 

 still worse, we lost sight of the monster. We repaired damages with all possible de- 

 spatch, and still kept on the wind, hoping to see his snakeship. In less than an hour 

 we saw him again, but some way to windward ; soon ascertaining that he partly turn- 

 ed, and was headed baft our beam, I put the ship about on the other tack. The wind 

 had increased so much that I was obliged to put a single reef in the fore and mizen 

 top-sails. The serpent disappeared for a few minutes again, but when he rose he was 

 a mile ahead of the ship, and going slowly to leeward, having made a complete circuit. 

 I frankly admit my hopes were feeble of ever really capturing him, and the gale made 

 me hesitate about lowering; but the time arrived, the serpent was still, and we nearly 

 half a mile to windward. I came to with the head yards aback to have a better con- 

 trol of all the ship, and told the ship-keeper to keep close to us, and by no means 

 to lose sight of us for an instant. We lowered, myself taking the lead, and in a few 

 strokes — the wind and sea carrying us to leeward — I told the boat-steerer, James 

 Whiitemore, of Vermont, to 'stand up.' With calm and cool intrepidity he laid hold 

 of his iron (harpoon), and, when I beckoned with a movement of my hand, quick as 

 thought both of his weapons were buried to the socket in the repulsive body before us. 



