202 THE VARIOUS ACCOUNTS , [ N°. 60. | 
of about four miles an hour, when he passed ahead; but after 
he appeared again on the quarter, his motion was less rapid. To 
the best of my judgment he was not more than 100 yards of the 
vessel — the weather was good and clear — it was almost calm, 
with a light air of wind from the S., the vessel was going about 
two knots — I had a fair and distinct view of the creature, and 
from his appearance am satisfied that it was of the serpent kind. 
The creature was entirely black; the head, which perfectly resem- 
bled a snake’s; was elevated from four to seven feet above the 
surface of the water, and his back appeared to be composed of 
bunches or humps, apparently about as large as, or a little larger 
than a half barrel; I think I saw as many as ten or twelve, but — 
did not count them; I considered them to be caused by the un- 
dulatory motion of the animal — the tail was not visible, but 
from the head to the last hump that could be seen, was, I should 
judge, 50 feet. The first view I had of him appeared like a string 
of empty barrels tied together, rising over what little swell of the 
sea there was. What motion I could discern in the body of the 
animal was undulatory, but he evidently moved his tail under 
water, and the ripples produced by it indicated a sweeping motion, 
making a wake as large as that made by the sloop.” 
“Hawkins Wheeler.” 
“Hssex, ss. June 9th. 1819. — Then Hawkins Wheeler person- 
ally appeared, and made oath that the foregoing affidavit by him 
subscribed, contains the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but 
the truth. Before me 
“Theodore Eames, Justice of the Peace.” 
“J, Gersham Bennet, of Fairfield, in the County of Fairfield, 
and State of Connecticut, mariner, on oath declare, that I was 
mate of the sloop Concord, Hawkins Wheeler, master, in her late 
passage from New York to Salem, Mass., that on Monday, the 
6th. day of June inst., at seven o’clock in the morning, I was on — 
the deck of the sloop, sitting on the hatches — the vessel was 
steermg N. W. and was then about eighteen miles from Race 
Point — the man at the helm made an outcry, and said there 
was something alongside that he wanted me to look at. I looked, 
and saw something on the larboard side of the vessel, about twelve 
rods, certainly not exceeding fourteen, from the vessel, that re- 
sembled a serpent or snake. I immediately arose and went to the 
side of the vessel, and took a position on the rough tree, holding 
on by the shrouds; I there saw a serpent of an enormous size and 
