[N 44 | REPORTS AND PAPERS. Ly 
The Chairman of the Committee, the Hon. Jonn Davis immed- 
iately wrote to Mr. Lonson Nasu the following letter: 
“Boston, September 2, 1817.” 
“Sin , 
“Your letter of the 28th. ult. to the Committee of the Linnaean 
Society, and the accompanying depositions, were duly received, 
and were yesterday communicated to the Society. The Committee 
are greatly obliged to you for your ready compliance with their 
request. In these sentiments the Society unite, and I am charged 
with the agreeable office of communicating to you their vote of 
thanks for your very acceptable labours. What you have thus ac- 
complished will go far in giving some precise and accurate con- 
ceptions on a subject, peculiarly exposed to exaggeration and 
mistake. This evidence, with some additional documents, will 
probably be published. The Committee will not make their final 
report on the subject of their Commission until evidence shall be 
procured respecting some other reputed appearances of like descrip- 
tion, particularly one at Plymouth in 1815.” 
“We have been informed that the animal at Gloucester was 
once seen, and it was said by a woman, lying dormant very near 
the shore. The Committee wished this intimation to be given to 
you, that if it should point to any material circumstances, the 
evidence might be taken.” 
“The last we hear of the object of our inquiry is of his appear- 
ance off Hast Point on the 28th. ult. This we gather from the 
testimony of captain Toppan, and his crew, of the schooner Laura, 
coming from Newburyport to Boston.” 
“It appears by your letter, that you had sight of the animal. 
A letter from you, giving a detailed account of your observations, 
would be particularly acceptable.” 
“We understand that a gentleman in Gloucester, (Captain Beach) 
has a drawing, supposed to be a good representation of the animal. 
Some information respecting this drawing would be agreeable; how 
far it is considered by those who had the best view of the animal 
as a correct representation, and whether the person possessing it 
would be disposed to permit an engraving from it to be annexed 
to the publication of the evidence, and on what terms. Yours very 
respectfully , 
“Jno Davis.” 
“We have already read the report of the appearance of 1815 
(n°, 34 and 35); the intelligence of the encounter on the 28th. of 
