APPENDIX. 517 
our wake, about two hundred yards off, and disappeared. Soon 
afterwards what seemed to be its head reappeared, followed by 
the bumps, or undulations of its body, which rose in succession 
till we counted 8 of them. It approached now within about 100 
yards, or less, and with the help of binoculars we could see it 
pretty distinctly. We did not see its eyes, nor observe any scales: 
but two of the party believed that they saw what they took to be 
a small fin moving above the water. It then slowly sunk, and 
moved away just under the surface of the water, for we could trace 
its course till it rose again, by the large waves it raised above it, 
to the distance of a mile and upwards’. 
“We had no means of measuring its size with any accuracy, 
but taking the distance from the centre of one bump or undula- 
tion of its body to that of another at 6ft. (it could not be less) 
the length of the portion visible above the water, would be about 
90 feet, and there may have been 20 or 30ft. more of its length 
which we did not see”, 
“Its head seemed blunt, and looked about 18in. in diameter, 
and the bumps were rather larger than the head. When in rapid 
motion the bumps disappeared, and only the head and neck 
could be seen, partly above the surface of the water. It con- 
tinued to rush about in the same manner as long as we remain- 
ed within sight of the place, but did not again come so near us 
that day’. 
“On the afternoon of the next day, August 21, as we were 
returning home we encountered our strange acquaintance again 
within the entrance of Loch Hourn, and saw him careering swiftly 
along the surface of the water, which was now slightly rippled 
with a light air of wind. It passed once abeam of us, at a distance 
of about 150 yards, with its head half out of the water, and we 
distinctly heard the whizzing noise it made as it rushed through 
the water. There were no organs of locomotion to be seen, and 
its progress was equable and smooth, like that of a log towed 
rapidly. Neither its appearance nor mode of progression had any 
resemblance to those of any known cetacean, shark, or fish of any 
kind. In case any of your readers should imagine that I, as well 
as the subject of my report am a mere myth, you will please to . 
give my name to this communication, and I believe that among 
a pretty wide circle of persons who know me there is none who 
consider me capable of stating as true what I do not believe to be 
so; or so little acquainted with the sea, as not to know a whale, 
37 
