Excerpts from," Report of a committee of the Linnaean Society of New England, relative to a large marine animal, supposed to be a serpent, seen near Cape Ann, Massachusetts, in August 1817
The Linnaen Society
1817
(I)
I, Amos Story of Gloucester, in the County of Essex, mariner, depose and say, that on the tenth day of August A. D. 1817. I saw a strange marine animal, that I believe to be a serpent, at the southward and eastward of Ten Pound Island, in the harbour in said Gloucester. It was between the hours of twelve and one o’ clock when I first saw him, and he continued in sight for an hour and half. I was setting on the shore, and was about twenty rods from him when he was the nearest to me. His head appeared shaped much like the head of the sea turtle, and he carried his head from ten to twelve inches above the surface of the water. His head at that distance appeared larger than the head of any dog that I ever saw. From the back part of his head to the next part of him that was visible, I should judge to be
three or four- feet. He moved very rapidly through the water, I should say a mile in two, or at most, in three minutes. I saw no bunches on his back. On this day, I did not see more than ten or twelve feet of his body. I likewise saw, what I believe to be the same animal this day, viz. the twenty third of August, A. D. 1817. This was in the morning, about seven o’clock. He then lay perfectly still, extended on the water, and I should judge that I saw fifty feet of him at least.
I should judge that I was forty rods from him this day. I had a good spy-glass both days when I saw him. I continued looking at him about half an hour, and he remained still and in the same position, until I was called away. Neither his head nor tail were visible. His colour appeared to be a dark brown, and when the sun shone upon him, the reflection was very bright. I thought his body was about the size of a man’s body.
AMOS STORY.
Essex ss. Aug. 23, 1S17. Personally appeared Amos Story,
and made oath that the foregoing deposition by him subscribed
is true, according to his best knowledge and belief.
Cor. Lonson Nash, Jus. Pads.
(II)
I, Solomon Allen 3d, of Gloucester, in the county of Essex, Ship master, depose and say ; that I have seen a strange marine animal, that I believe to be a serpent, in the harbour in said Gloucester. I should judge him to be between eighty and ninety feet in length, and about the size of a half barrel, apparently having joints from his head to his tail. I was about one hundred and fifty yards from' him, when I judged him to be of the size of a half barrel. His head formed something like the head of the rattle snake, but nearly as large as the head of a horse. When he moved on the surface of the water, his motion was slow, at times playing about in circles, and sometimes moving nearly straight forward. When he disappeared, he sunk apparently directly down, and would next appear at two hundred yards from where he disappeared, in two minutes. His colour was a dark brown, and I did not discover any spots upon him.
Question. When did you first see this animal ?
Answer. I saw him on the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth of August, A. D. 1817.
Q. How often, and how long at a time ?
A. I was in a boat on the twelfth inst. and was around him several times, within one hundred and fifty yards of him. On the thirteenth inst. I saw him nearly all the day, from the shore. I was on the beech, nearly on a level with him, and most of the time he was from one hundred and fifty to three hundred yards from me. On the fourteenth, I saw him but once, and had not so good a view of him.
Q. What parts of it were above the surface of the water, and how high ?
A. Its joints or bunches, appeared about eight or ten inches above the surface of the water.
Q, Did it bend its body up and down in moving, or to the right and left ?
A . He moved to the right and left.
Q. How many distinct portions of it were out of water, at one time ?
A. I should say fifty distinct portions.
Q. Did it appear smooth or rough ?
A. It appeared rough and scaly.
Q. Had it ears, horns, or any other appendages ?
A. I perceived none.
Q. How did its tail terminate ?
A . He seemed to taper towards (what I thought) his tail, though I had no distinct view of his tail.
Q. Did it utter any sound.
A. Not in my hearing.
Q. Did it appear to pursue, avoid, or notice any thing ?
A. It appeared to me to avoid the boat where I was, though afterwards, I saw him make towards a boat, in which was Mr. Goffney and others.
Q. Did you see more than one ?
A. I did not.
Q.. How many persons saw it ?
A . Twenty or thirty persons were in view of me.
Q. Did he open his mouth when you saw him, and if so, how wide ?
A. Yes, when I looked at him from the shore with a glass, at about two hundred yards distance, his mouth appeared to be open about ten inches. I had no glass, when I saw him from the boat.
Q. Did he carry his head above the surface of the water ?
A. Yes, at times, about two feet, then again he would carry the top of his head just on the surface of the water.
Q. Did he turn short and quick, and what was the form of the curve that he made, when he turned ?
A. He turned short and quick, and the first part of the curve that he made in turning resembled the link of a chain ; but when his head came parallel with his tail, his head and tail appeared near together.
SOLOMON ALLEN, 3d.
Essex ss. August 21, 1817. Personally appeared Solomon
Allen the third, and made oath that the foregoing facts, by him
subscribed, are true, according to his best knowledge and belief.
Cor. Lonson Nash, Jus. Pads,
(III)
I, Epes Ellery, of Gloucester, in the County of Essex, Ship master, depose and say ; that on the 14th day of August, 1817, I saw a sea animal that I thought to be a serpent, in the harbour
in said Gloucester. I was on an eminence, near low water mark, and about thirty feet above the level of the sea, when I saw him. I should judge that he was about one hundred and fifty fathoms
from me. I saw the upper part of his head, and I should say about forty feet of the animal. He appeared to me to have joints, about the size of a two-gallon keg. I was looking at him with a spy-glass, when I saw him open his mouth, and his mouth appeared like that of the serpent ; the top of his head appeared flat. His motion when he turned was quick, but I will not express an opinion of his velocity. The first part of the curve that he made in turning was of the form of a staple, and as he approach- 1 towards his tail, he came near his body with his head, and then ran parallel with his tail, and his head and tail then appeared near together.
Q. At what time of the day did you see him ?
A. It was a little after sun set.
Q. What parts of it were above the surface of the water, and how high ?
A. I did not count the number of .bunches, but they appeared about six inches above the surface of the water.
Q. Were its sinuosities vertical or horizontal ?
A. Vertical.
Q. Did it appear to pursue, avoid, or notice any thing ?
A. It did not appear to avoid any thing. He appeared to be amusing himself, though there were several boats not far from him.
Q. Did you see more than one?
A. I did not.
Q. How many persons saw it ?
A. There were fifteen or twenty persons, near where I was.
EPES ELLERY.
Essex ss. August 25, 18x7. Personally appeared Epes Elle-
ry, and made oath to the truth of the foregoing facts by him sub-
scribed.
Cor. Lon son Nash, Jus. Pacis.
(IV)
I, William H. Foster, of Gloucester, in the county of Essex, merchant, depose and say : That on the fourteenth day of August, A. D. 1817, I first saw an uncommon sea animal, that 1 believe to have been a serpent, in the harbour in said Gloucester. When I first discovered him, his head was above the surface of the water, perhaps ten inches, and he made but little progress through the water. He was apparently shaded with light colours. He afterwards went in different directions, leaving on the surface of the water, marks like those made by skating on the ice. Then he would move in a straight line west, and would almost in an instant, change his course to east, bringing his head, as near as I could judge, to where his tail was ; or in fact, to the extreme hinder part visible, raising himself as he turned, six or eight inches out of water, and shewing a body at least forty feet in length. On the seventeenth of August instant, I again saw him. He came into the harbour, occasionally exhibiting parts of his body, which appeared like rings or bunches. As he drew near, and when opposite to me, there rose from his head or the most forward part of him, a prong or spear about twelve inches in height, and six inches in circumference at the bottom, and running to a small point.
Q. Might not the prong or spear that you saw, have been the tongue of the serpent ?
A. I thought not ; as I saw the prong before I saw the head; but it might have been.
Q. At what distance was you, when you saw the spear of the serpent ?
A . I should judge forty rods ; I had a spy-glass when I saw the prong or spear.
Q. Did the animal appear round?
A. He did.
Q. Did he appear jointed, or only serpentine ?
A. He appeared jointed.
Q. Were its sinuosities vertical, or horizontal?
A Vertical.
Q. What was its colour?
A. It appeared brown.
Q. Did it appear smooth or rough ?
A. It appeared smooth.
Q. What was the size and shape of his head ?
A. At the distance where I was, his head appeared as large as a man’s head ; but I cannot describe its shape.
Q. Did it appear to pursue, avoid, or notice objects ?
A. I thought it appeared to notice objects.
Q. How fast did it move ?
A. At the rate of a mile in a minute, at times, I have no doubt.
WILLIAM H. FOSTER.
Essex ss. August 27, 1817. Personally appeared William H. Foster, and made oath that the foregoing deposition, by him subscribed, is true, according to his best knowledge and belief.
Before Lonson Nash, Jus. of Peace.
(V)
1, Matthew Gaffney, of Gloucester, in the County of Essex, Ship carpenter, depose and say : That on the fourteenth day of August, A D. 1817, between the hours of four and five o’clock in the afternoon, I saw a strange marine animal, resembling a serpent, in the harbour in said Gloucester. I was in a boat, and was within thirty feet of him. His head appeared full as large as a four-gallon keg ; his body as large as a barrel, and his length that I saw, I should judge forty feet, at least. The top of his head was of a dark colour, and the under part of his head appeared nearly white, as did also several feet of his belly, that I saw. I supposed and do believe that the whole of his belly was nearly white. I fired at him, when he was the nearest to me. I had a good gun, and took good aim. I aimed at his head, and, think I must have hit him. He turned towards us immediately after I had fired, and I thought he was coming at us ; but he sunk down and went directly under our boat, and made his appearance at about one hundred yards from where he sunk. He did not turn down like a fish, but appeared to settle directly down, like a rock. My gun carries a ball of eighteen to the pound ; and I suppose there is no person in town, more accustomed to shooting, than I am. I have seen the same animal at several other times, but never had so good a view of him, as on this day His motion was vertical, like the caterpillar.
Q. How fast did it move ?
A. I should say he moved at the rate of a mile in two, or at most, three minutes.
Q. Did it appear smooth or rough ?
A. I thought it smooth, though I was endeavouring to take aim at him, and will not say positively, that he was smooth, though that is still my belief.
Q. Does he turn quick and short, and if so, what is die form of path that he makes, in turning ?
A. He turns quick and short, and the first part of the curve that he makes in turning, is in the form of the staple ; but his head seems to approach rapidly towards his body, his head and tall moving In opposite directions, and when his head and tail come parallel, they appear almost to touch each other.
Q. Did he appear more shy, after you had fired at him ?
A. He did not ; but continued playing as before.
Q. Who was in the boat with you, when you fired at the serpent ?
A. My brother Daniel, and Augustin M. Webber.
MATTHEW GAFFNEY.
Essex ss. August 28, 1817. Then Matthew Gaffney made oath that the foregoing, by him subscribed, is true according to his best knowledge and belief.
Before Lonson Nash, Jus. of Peace.
