[ Ne. 24. ] REPORTS AND PAPERS. 143 
of the Islands in the bay, that he had seen it; and “it was as big 
as a sloop’s boom, and about sixty or seventy feet long”. 
2D. — 1786, August 1. — (Zoologist, 1847, p. 1911). — 
“Having seen much notice taken in the Zoologist of the question 
of the great sea-serpent, allow me to subjoin an extract from the 
log-book of a very near relative, dated August Ist., 1786, on board 
the ship “General Coole’, in lat. 42° 44’ N., and long. 23° 10' W. —” 
“A very large snake passed the ship; it appeared to be 16 
or 18 feet in length, and 3 or 4 feet in circumference, the back 
of a light ash-colour and the belly thereof yellow.” 
“According to the log the ship was becalmed at the time. You 
may rely on the correctness of this, and any one desiring of satisfy 
himself may see the original log.” “S. H. Saxby; Bouchurch, Isle 
of Wight. September, 8, 1847.” | 
Of course only the length is given of the visible part, else it 
would be impossible that an animal of 16 feet in length and 3 or 
4 feet in circumference made the impression of being a serpent or 
snake; the whole trunk and tail must have been hidden under 
water. As the colour of the animal’s back is noted as a light ash- 
colour, I suppose that the animal having swum a long time in 
the sun without diving under water, the skin had become dry and 
showed the ash-colour; the colour of the belly (read throat) is 
stated to be yellow. This statement already mentioned above we 
shall see repeated more than once. 
26. — 1787? — In the letter from the Rev. Mr. Wittiam 
Jenks, dated, Bath, September 17, 1817, to the Hon. Judge 
Davis of Boston, and printed in the Report of 1817, we read: 
“Aug. 23, 1809. — Mr. Cuaries Saw (then of Bath, now an 
attorney in Boston,) informed me, that a Capt. Litiis, with whom 
he had sailed, observed cursorily in conversation, that he had seen 
off the coast a very singular fish; it appeared, said he, more like 
a snake than a fish, and was about forty feet long. It held its 
head erect, had no mane, and looked like an ordinary serpent. 
He asked Mr. Suaw if he had ever seen, or read, or heard of 
such an animal.” | 
