[ Ne. 152. ] REPORTS AND PAPERS. 365 
three feet in diameter. It was about 300 yards from the ship, 
coming towards us. It turned its head partly from us, and went 
down with a great splash, after staying up about five seconds, 
but rose again three times at intervals of ten seconds, until it had 
turned completely from us and was going from us with great speed, 
and making the water all boiling round it. I could see its eyes 
and shape perfectly. It was like a great eel or snake, but as black 
as coal tar, and appeared to be making great exertions to get 
away from the ship. I have seen many kinds of fish in five 
different oceans, but was never favoured with a sight of the great 
sea-snake before.” 
Of this unvarnished account Mr. Woop says with reason (ature, 
February 10, 1881), that it is “almost a duplicate of that of Major 
Srentor” (n°. 149). The colour of the animal is called black, the 
head and neck, like those of a snake, were elevated about twenty 
feet in the air. The animal stood so about five seconds, went 
down with a great splash, but rose again three times at intervals 
of ten seconds, thus behaving in the same way as the individual 
seen from the City of Baltimore (n°. 149). The thickness here is 
estimated at three feet. The animal moved from the vessel with 
great speed. Consequently the captain could not discern four 
different splashes, two of the fore and two of the hind-flappers , 
but he reports that the water was boiling all around it. I think 
that the animal here again was pursuing a shoal of fish and not 
trying to escape the vessel. — 
152 A. — 1881, Nov. 122? — The Zuid-Afrikaan, of Nov. 17, 
1881, mentions: 
“In the Argus we read the following: — “Mr. C. M. Hansen, 
functionary to the harbour-office, mentions, that on Saturday even- 
ing a little after six oclock, being occupied in his garden near 
Monillepoint, he perceived near the spot where the Athens was 
wrecked, a great sea-serpent, and that he immediately drew the 
attention of his wife and children, and several of his neighbours 
to this appearance. After viewing the coast at its ease for half an 
hour the monster turned its head seaward and disappeared. Mr. 
Hansen describes this sea-monster as being about 75 feet long, of 
a dark colour and with a head of the size of a 54 gallon hogshead, 
resembling that of a bull-dog, and provided with a long and brown 
mane, hanging down.” 
