CHEATS AND HOAXES. 35 
mate boarded us with the jolly boat, and handed a packet of let- 
ters to be despatched per first steamer for Boston on our arrival 
in England. The mate told me that when in lat. 4° 11'S., long. 
10° 15° E., wind dead north, upon the 20th of September, a most 
extraordinary animal had been seen: from his description it had 
the appearance of a huge serpent or snake, with a dragon’s head. 
Immediately upon its being seen, one of the deck guns was brought 
to bear upon it, which having been charged with spike-nails, and 
whatever other pieces of iron could be got at the moment, was 
discharged at the animal, then only distant about forty yards from 
the ship; it immediately reared its head in the air, and plunged 
violently with its body, showing evidently that the charge had 
taken effect. The Daphne was to leeward at the time, but was 
put about on the starboard tack and stood towards the brute, 
which was seen foaming and lashing the water at a fearful rate: 
upon the brig nearing, however, it disappeared, and, though evi- 
dently wounded, made rapidly off at the rate of 15 or 16 knots 
an hour, as was judged from its appearing several times upon the 
surface. The Daphne pursued for some time, but the night coming 
on the master was obliged to put about and continue his voyage’. 
“From the description given by the mate, the brute must have 
been nearly 100 feet long, and his account of it agrees in every 
respect with that lately forwarded to the admiralty by the captain 
of the Daedalus. The packet of letters to Boston, I have no doubt, 
contains the full particulars, which, I suppose, will be made public”. 
“There are letters from captain Trelawney to a friend in Liver- 
pool, which will probably contain some further particulars, and | 
have written to get a copy for the purpose of getting the full ac- 
count. James Henderson, Master, Broomielaw, Berth, n° 4”. 
The same story was inserted in the Zoologist of 27 Nov. 1848, 
and Mr. Newman the Editor who half a year before had fallen 
into the snare laid by the so-called captain Woopwarp, and who 
was taken to task by Mr. Coopmr, grown more careful, now added: 
“Doubtless the sagacious production of some selfstyled philosophical 
naturalist, who is pledged to one of the hypothetical modes of ex- 
planing away the existence of a sea-serpent, and who hopes by a 
hoax of this kind to throw discredit on Captain M’Quhae’s statement”. 
Now, I think, Mr. Newman was on the right track ! 
