178 THE VARIOUS ACCOUNTS, [ Ne. 44. ] 
“(). At what time in the day was this?” 
“4. Between the hours of five and six in the afternoon.” 
“@Q. How many distinct portions of it were out of water at 
one time?” | 
“4. Ten or twelve distinct portions.” 
“(). Can you describe his eyes and mouth.” 
“A. I thought and believe, that I saw his eye at one time, 
and it was dark and sharp.” 
“Q. How did its tail terminate >’ 
“A. 1 had not a very distinct view of his tail; I saw no bunches 
towards, what I thought the end of the tail, and I believe there 
were none. From where I judged his navel might be, to the end 
of his tail, there were no bunches visible.” 
“William B. Pearson. 
Essex. ss. August 27, 1817. Then William B. Pearson made 
oath to the truth of the above.” 
“Before Lonson Nash, Jus. of Peace.” 
In this account too there is not a single fact which has not 
been mentioned before, except that the tail did not show bunches, 
while the back did. From that pomt of the body where Mr. Prarson 
judged his navel might be towards the end of the tail, the animal 
had no bunches. It is probable that we are meant to read: from 
the middle of the visible part, where the animal seemed to be 
thickest. It is also probable that the animal’s external characters , 
though Mr. Parson says he believed it to be a serpent, made 
on him the impression of a mammal. 
44 — 1817, August 18. — See also n°. 44 p. 176 and here- 
above. — In the above-mentioned letter from Mr. 8S. G. PErxkins 
to Mr. E. Everett we read: 
“My Brother — Colonel Perkins — went down to Cape Ann 
two days ago to see it. He says that he is satisfied that such an 
animal is there. As he stood on the shore, it came within the 
eighth of a mile of him, but as he did not see it so distinctly, 
as to be able to state all its poimts, he has not said any thing to 
the public about it.” : 
Fortunately Col. 'T. H. Perkins wrote down his experiences in 
a letter, dated Oct. 18, 1820, when on board the ship Aun Marie, 
to his friend Jno P. Cusine. He published it in the Boston 
