312 THE VARIOUS ACCOUNTS, [N°. 181.] 
formed round the neck just behind the head, as may be seen in 
our sea-lions, and which led Captain Harrineton to write “with 
a kind of scroll, or tuft of loose skin, encircling it about two feet 
from the top” of the head, i. e. somewhat behind the occiput. 
The discolourmg of the water has of course nothing at all to do 
with the animal or its appearance. 
Some days afterwards (Zimes of February 13, 1858; Zoologist | 
for 1858, p. 5990) this document was followed by an account of 
FrepEric SmitH, who stated that on December 28th., 1848, com- 
manding the ship Prexin, they saw an extraordinary creature, which, 
when harpooned, and hoisted on board, proved to be a piece of 
a gigantic sea-weed, twenty feet long. “So like a huge living mon- 
ster did this appear, that, had circumstances prevented my sending 
a boat to it, I should certainly have believed I had seen the great 
sea-snake.”” Captain Smira firmly believes that the animals of the 
Daedalus and of the Castilan were pieces of the same weed. 
Hereupon, “An officer of H. M. 8S. Daedalus’ wrote an apology 
in the Yimes of 16th. February, which we have inserted in n°. 
118. This letter was immediately followed in the same paper of the 
same date by the two following: 
“Sir. — A letter appears in the Z%mes of to-day signed “Fred- 
eric Smith” on the subject of the sea-serpent. 
“The writer has this advantage over others who have reported 
the occasional appearance of what he fairly calls “this queer fish’’ — 
that he has handled as well as seen it. Still there would seem to 
be a considerable variety in the genus, for, while the specimen 
obtained by the Pefim in 1848 was 4 inches in diameter and 20 
feet in length, that seen from the Circassian is described, if I 
remember rightly, in your paper of 4th. inst. as 10 feet or 11 
feet i diameter, and upwards of 200 feet in length.” 
“In this latter instance it was seen only, and but a passing 
sight; and testimony of this kind is just that which naturalists 
may be slow to receive as evidence of any new fact; nevertheless 
the practised vision of the Circassian’s commander should go for 
something, and as it would appear from the following letter that 
Captain Harrington is to be in town next week and ready to answer 
any questions, it might be worth the while of some of our philo- 
sophers to examine a little into the question of what Capt. Har- 
rington and-his officers really did see.” 
“T have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient servant 
“Blackheath, February 12.” “W. A. B. Hamilton.” 
a 4 
Pe ‘Sa 
zy re 
. = % 
