4.76 THE VARIOUS EXPLANATIONS. [The 22d.]_ 
what it was that he saw. Fortunately however, the sketch made 
by Mr. Brine, one of his brother-missionaries, has enabled us to 
do this’. And Mr. Lez has the boldness to figure a large cala- 
mary, with the words: “the animal which Eexps probably saw’, 
of which figure I give a facsimile in fig. 70. — 
Well! It looks convincing enough, and there is a savour of in- 
genious acuteness of wit in it, that might lull the suspicions of a 
doubting zoologist! What more could be required? And yet, the . 
whole fabric falls to pieces as soon as we compare HeEpr’s des- 
cription and Brine’s drawing with the greater part of descriptions 
and figures given as well before as after Earp. His idea is far 
fetched and thereby impossible: 1. When a calamary propels itself 
with great velocity to the surface and raises its tail high out of 
the water, all its arms are turned and stretched downwards; not 
one is visible above the surface. 2. When a calamary is in this 
position and falls down in consequence of its weight, it will fall 
to the side where its body is nearest the water, in our figure to 
left, and not to right, as Mr. Harpe saw very distinctly; he says: 
“backwards” that is towards the tail; and 3. A calamary in the 
' position above delineated, spouting through its locomotor tube, 
spouts in a direction contrary to that which Mr. Ler has figured. 
The locomotor tube may be somewhat flexible, when at rest; it 
is stretched by its own muscular wall towards the head, and not 
towards the tail, nor im a direction perpendicularly to the body , when 
the act of spouting takes place. Moreover Hans EcerEpe saw the sea- 
serpent spouting (exhaling) through its nostrils or its mouth, and not on 
or below the surface of the water, as the calamary of Mr. Henry Les! 
Of Mr. Macrgan’s report (n°. 31) he says: “His description of 
it is exceedingly vague, but is strongly indicative of a great cala- 
mary’. If I may beg my readers to read Mr. Maciean’s report 
again, they will observe that zothimg in it indicates a calamary ! 
About the report of Mr. J. C. Lunp (n°. 115) he writes: 
“We may at once accept most fully and frankly the statements 
of all the worthy people mentioned in this series of incidents. There 
is no room for the shadow of a doubt that they all recounted con- 
scientiously that which they saw. The lastquoted occurrence, espec- 
lally, is most accurately and intelligently described — so clearly, 
indeed, that it furnishes us with a clue to the identity of the 
strange visitant.”’ 
“Here let me say —and I wish it to be distinctly understood — 
that I do not deny the possibility of the existence of a great sea- 
