310 
having seen in the sea on the 12th of January, 
was net a mermaid, but some other uncom- 
mon, though less remarkable, inhabitant of 
the deep. As I would willingly contribute 
to remove the doubt of the sceptical en this 
gubject, I beg leave to state to you the fol- 
lowing accounts, after premising that my 
cousin, whose name is prefixed along with 
mine, was one of the four witnesses who be- 
held with me this uncommon spectacle, 
While she and I were watking by the sea- 
shore, on the 12th of January, about noon, 
our attention was attracted by seeing three 
people who were on a rock at some distance, 
shewing signs of terror and astonishment at 
something they saw in the water; on approache 
ing them, we distinguished that the object of ° 
their wonder.was a face resembling the human 
countenance, which appeared floating en the 
waves; at that time nothing but the tace was 
visible ; it may not be improper to observe, 
before I proceed further, that the face, throat, 
and arms, are all 1 can attempt to describe 5 
all our endeavours to discover the appearance 
and position of the body being unavailing. 
The sea at that time ran very high, and as 
the waves advanced, the Mermaid gently 
sunk under tiem, and afterwards re-appeared, 
The face seemed plump and round, the eyes 
and nose were small, the former were ofa 
light grey colour, and the mouth was large, 
and, from the shape of the jawbone, which 
seemed straight, the face looked short; as to 
the inside of the mouth I can say nothing, 
not having attended to it, though sometimes 
open. ihe forehead, nose, and chin, were 
white ; the whole side face of a bright pink 
colour. The head was exceedingly round, 
the hair thick and long, of a green oily cast, 
and appeared troubiesome to it, the waves 
generally throwing it down over the face ; 
ic seemed to see the annoyance, and, as the 
waves retreates with both its hands frequently 
threw back the hair and rubbed its throat, as 
if to remove any soiling it might have re- 
ceived from it. The throat was slender, 
smooth, and white; we did not think of ob- 
serving whether it had elbows; but from the 
manner in which it used its arms, J must con- 
clude that it had. The arms were very long 
and slender, as were the hands and fingers; 
the latter were not webbed. The arms, one 
of them at least, was frequently extended, 
over its head, as if to frighten a bird that 
hovered over it, and seemed to distress it 
much; when that hac no effect, it sometimes 
turned quite round several times successively. 
Ata little distance we ebserved aseal. It 
sometimes: laid its right hand under its cheek, 
and in this position floated for some time. 
We saw nothing like hair or scales on any 
part of it ; indeed the smoothness of the skin 
_particularly caught our attention. The time 
it was discernible to us wes about an hour. 
‘The sun was shining clearly at that time ; it 
was distant from usa few ‘yards only. These 
are the few observations made by us during 
the appearance of this-strange phenomenon. 
. Liierary and Philosophical Intelligence. 
rO ct. I; 
If they afford you any satisfaction, I shall 
be particularly happy. I have stated nothing 
but what I clearly reccllect ; as my cousin 
and Thad frequently, previeus to this period, 
combated an assertion which 4s very common 
among the lower class here, that Mermaids 
had been frequently seen on this coast, our 
evidence-tannot be thought biassed by any 
former prejudice in favour of the existence of 
this wonderful creature. ed 
To contribute, in any degree, to your plea~ 
sure or amusement, will add to the happiness 
of, Madam, your greatly obliged, 
(Signed) Exriz. MacxaY. 
C. MacKenze. 
No. Ul—-Letter from Mr. William Munro, 
Schoolmaster of Thurso, to Dr. Torrence, 
regarding a Mermaid seen by bim some years 
ago. a 
DEAR SIR, Thurso, Fune 9, 1809. 
Your queries respecting the Mermaid are 
before me. From the general scepticism 
which prevails among the learned and intel- 
ligent about the existence of such a pheno= _ 
menona, had not ‘your character and real de- 
sire for investigation been too well known to 
me, for supposing that you wished to have a 
fertile imagination indulged by a subject of 
merriment, I would have been disposed ta 
have concluded, that in this instance, you 
aimed at being ranked among the laughing 
philosophers, at my expense. Sensible, 
however, that this is not the case, and taking 
it for granted that you are sincere, [I shall 
endeavour to answer your queries, though’ 
there is little probability that any testimony 
which I can give respecting the Mermaid, 
will operate towards convincing thuse who 
havé not hitherto been convinced by the re-_ 
peated testimonies adduced. in support of the 
existence of such an appearance. 
About twelve years ago, when I was pa- 
rochial schoolmaster at Reay, im the course. 
of my walking on the shore of Sardside Bay, 
being a fine warm day in summer, I was in- 
duced to.extend my walk towards Sandside 
Head, whien my attention was arrested by the 
appearance of a figure, resembling an une 
clothed human female, sitting upon a rock 
extending into the ses, and apparently in the 
action of combing its hair, which flowed” 
around its shoulders, and of a light brown 
colours The resemblance which -the figure 
bore to its prototype, in all its visible parts,” 
was so striking, that had not the rock on 
which. it was sitting been dangerous for 
bathing, I would have been constrained to 
have regarded it as.really an human form, 
and to any eye unaccustomed to the situa 
tion, it must have undoubtedly appeared as 
such. "The head was covered with hair of 
the colour above-mentioned, and shaded on 
the crown, the forehead round, the face 
plump, the cheeks ruddy, the eyes blue, the 
mouth and lips of a natural form, resembling 
those of a man; the teeth I could not discover, 
asthe mouth was shut; the breasts and abe 
gomen, 
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