21 
motion was much more rapid than whales, or any other fish I 
have ever seen ; he left a very long wake behind him ; he did 
not appear to alter his course in consequence of being so near 
the vessel. 1 saw him much less time than either of the others, 
and not in so favourable a position to notice his head. 
I have been to sea many years, and never saw any fish that 
had the least resemblance to this animal. Judging from what I 
saw out of water, I should judge the body was about the size of a 
half barrel in circumference. „ . 
SEWELL TOPPAN. 
Suffolk ss. Boston , September i, 1817. Personally appeared 
Capt. Sewell Toppan, and made solemn oath, that the foregoing 
declaration, by him subscribed, is true. 
Before me, Jos. May, Jus. Pacis. 
XII. 
Robert Bragg, of Newburyport, mariner, of the schooner 
Laura of Newburyport, Sewell Toppan master, testifies: That 
on Thursday last, about ten o’clock A. M. coming in said schoon¬ 
er, bound from Newburyport to Boston, off Eastern point, (Cape 
Ann) about a mile and a half from the shore, I being on deck, the 
vessel being becalmed, looking at the windward, I saw something 
break the water, and coming very fast towards us ; I mentioned 
it to the man at helm, William Somerby; the animal came about 
28 or 30 feet from us, between the vessel and the shore, and pass¬ 
ed very swiftly by us; he left a very long wake behind him. 
About six inches in height of his body and head were out of water, 
and as I should judge about 14 or 15 feet in length. He had a 
head like a serpent, rather larger than his body and rather blunt; 
did not see his eyes ; when astern of the vessel about 30 feet, 
he threw out his tongue about two feet in length ; the end of it ap¬ 
peared to me to resemble a fisherman’s harpoon ; he raised his 
tongue several times perpendicularly, or nearly so, and let it fall 
again. He was in sight about ten minutes. I think he moved 
4 
