so 
Q. How many distinct portions of it were out of water at one 
time } 
■A' Ten or twelve distinct portions. 
Q. Can you describe his eyes and mouth ? 
A. I thought and believe, that I saw his eye at one time, and 
it was dark and sharp. 
Q. How did its tail terminate ? . 
A. I had not a distinct view of his tail; I saw no bunches 
towards, what I thought, the end of his tail, and I believe there 
were none. From where I judged his navel might be, to the end 
of his tail, there were no bunches visible. 
WILLIAM B PEARSON. 
Essex ss. August 27, i8i7. Then William B. Pearson made 
oath to the truth of the above. 
Bo 'ore Lonson Nash, Jus. of Peace. 
XL 
Sewell Toppav, master of the schooner Laura, declares : 
That on Thursday morning the 28th day of August, at about 
9 o’clock A. M. at about two miles, or two and half miles east 
of the eastern point of Cape Ann, being becalmed, I heard one 
of my men call to the man at helm, “ what is this coming tow¬ 
ards usbeing engaged forward, I took no further notice till 
they called out again—I then got on top of the deck load, at f 
which time I saw a singular kind of animal or fish, which I had 
never before seen, passing by our quarter, at distance of about 
forty feet, standing along shore. I saw a part of the animal or 
fish ten or fifteen feet from the head downwards including the head; 
the head appeared to be size of ten-gallon keg, and six inch¬ 
es above the surface of the water. It was of a daik colour. I saw 
no tongue, but heard William Somerby and Robert Bragg, my 
two men, who were with me, call out, “ look at his tongue.” The 
monon of his head was sideways and quite moderate ; the motion 
of the body, up and down, I have seen whales very often; his 
