302 THE VARIOUS ACCOUNTS, [N°. 126.] 
U2G. — 1854, September 4. — (Lllustrated London News, 
for 1855, February 17. —) 
“It is reported by the British Brig 4/deona, arrived at Liverpool, 
that on the 4th. of September last, about five in the afternoon, 
in lat. 38 S., long 13 E., while the ship was under a light wind 
and in smooth water, a sea-monster of great size and singular ap- 
pearance was descried. Attention was first directed to it by the 
broken action of the water, which otherwise was smooth all around. 
The animal was discovered protruding its head above water to the 
length of about 30 feet, at an angle of 60 degrees to.the horizon. 
His head was about 12 feet long and was marked by a white 
stripe or streak down each side. At about six feet from the term- 
ination of the streaks, which were presumed to be its jaws, there 
was a protuberance on its back like a small water-cask. The creat- 
ure kept its mouth shut, but its eyes were plainly visible. At the 
point of contact with the water the body seemed about as much 
as the ship’s long-boat round. The general colour of the body was 
black, but under the jaw was a quantity of loose skin, like a 
pouch, of a lighter colour than the rest of the animal. While un- 
der observation he dipped under water three times, remaining sub- 
merged about a minute each time. From the broken action of the 
water at different points, it seemed as if protuberances, similar to 
that on the back existed on various parts of the body. From the 
best conjecture that could be made, it was computed at 180 feet 
in length over all.” 
The length of the head may be somewhat exaggerated, the lar- 
gest dimensions admissible are 6 feet in breadth and about 8 feet 
in length, as we shall afterwards observe from one of the most 
recent reports. It is a remarkable fact that here mention is made 
of a white stripe or streak down on each side of the head, presum- 
ed to be its jaws. In the deposition of Captain Finney (n°. 34) 
too, we read “It had a white stripe extending the whole length 
of the head just above the water, there where the underjaw must 
have been’. And in the figures of the animal seen by the gentle- 
men of the Daedalus (fig. 28, 29, 30) the underjaw is drawn 
white, and described whitish brown or yellowish white. The pro- 
tuberance on its back (read on the back of its neck) was a fold 
in the animal’s skin, as may be seen in the sea-lions in our Zoo- 
logical Gardens, when they contract their long necks, and then 
the other “protuberances, similar to that on the back” were of 
the same character. This character of having bunches occasionally, 
