A MONSTER OF THE DEEP

Inangahua Times, Volume XI, Issue 1655, 20 January 1886, Page 2

A MONSTER OF THE DEEP

The Liverpool ship E-nMcm, witfi rice from Rangoon, arrived in Q ieen<town Hiibour on Sunday morning for orders, in co'nm:md of Cipfain RolvrtH, wlj«» reports, as foll->w»: — On the sth iu&t... in laMtude 29.85 North, lonritu le 84 50 west, while the vessel was Sailing with a li^ht east wind about, four knots through the witer, at 10 am, Mr Fl.'t.-h»r, the c'nVf offi -er, ca'led me on de«-k ami directed my attention to % minster which afterwards prov» d to !••* a s«^a Sei'ivnt of gig-ritic wi\ I \\\ neli Bt.'lv »«x lviin rt d, *G»>d heavens f Whit's that?" Nnt having ever neeu aMVthin<i m-ar its siz^ U-fore I felt somewhat a!**-mp'l. as did every iiuin l)er «»f its crew, as th ■» in '"isr^r ne iral in, fearing that it miifht, pinned against the vesnel's side and cause in-j-u-y to the vessel's hull. The amphib ions (sic) auimil hi-l >iox» come within i'«re" f»tljo»i8 of th^ wet'ier pile of the shin, and appeared to Iv gralual'y «X'>in«i astern. As we sailed onwirrf, however, th^ wash off tin- *essel's side attrai-tiil the muster's attention, which cm el it to rane itself to the Bnrfiii-e of the watt-r, when a full view was obtained. It appeared 6) feet in length, and the l»ody, which wisof a pink colo ir, with stripes of alaksh id«« was fully seven feet muni. Irs heid was as large as a «-alfs, resembling a snake towards the nose. The b-nte O|iened its huge mouth, inside of whicii were large faii<;s, that wp»v plainly seen. The animal had no visible fang out waidly, and appeared to We propelled solely y its t-n'l, which tarred off similar to a snak v's. At intervals it i rose to within a foot of the surfac-. ' and would ngtin 9iuk a f.'W feet a>d ! lie motionless in a cnioki>d pus tion anil wiig.'le itself after the fasiiiny of .-« Serpent. Tll<* wash ofl the Vessel's side, as stated, occ*sionally disturbed the moiister, when it would appear startled and swim along in company fur some ti-ne. However, (he vessel gmdiullv sniled away fro»i» the mnjister at tli'.« si »w pace of four knot* Up to this part of the voyage the wetther >v;is very tine, but it snhs queutly Iv-cim-stormy. The crew were nnn'Mino is in saying they never saw such a sea serpent before.