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Subject: Sea Serpent Observed at Lynn, Mass. - History of Lynn. 1865
Date: Sun, 12 Feb 2006 19:58:16 EST

Subject: Sea Serpent Observed at Lynn, Mass.
Source: History of Lynn, Massachusetts by Alonzo Lewis & James R. Newhall
1865

p. 382 1819

That singular marine animal, called the "Sea Serpent" first made his
appearance in the
waters of Lynn this year. It was alledged that it had been seen in August,
1817 and 1818,
in Gloucester harbor. On the 13th and 14th days of August, this year, many
hundred persons were collected on Lynn beach by a report that it was to be
seen. Many depositions have been taken of its subsequent appearance. It was
represented to have been from 50 to 70 feet in length, as large as a barrel,
moving swiftly, sometimes with its head several feet above the tide.

I have not seen such an animal (author) but perhaps it exists; and it may
be one of
the mighty existing releics of a buried world. In 1638, Dr. John Josselyn
tells us, " A
sea serpent or snake, that lay quoiled up like a cable, upon a rock at Cape
Ann. A boat
passing by with English aboard and two Indians, they would have shot the
serpent, but the
Indians dissuaded them, saying that if he were not killed outright, they
would be in danger
of their lives."

The learned Agassiz says, in a lecture delivered at Philadelphis, March 20,
1849, "I have
asked myself in connection with this subject, whether there is not such an
animal as the
sea-serpent. There are many who will doubt the existence of such a creature
until it can
be brought under the dissecting knife; but it has been seen by so many on
whom we may rely, that it is wrong to doubt any longer. The truth is, however,
that if a naturalist had to
sketch the outlines of an Ichthyosaurus or Plesiosaurus from the remains we
have of them,
he would make a drawing very similar to the sea-serpent as it has been
described. There is
reason to think that the parts are soft and perishable, but I still consider
it probable
that it will be the good fortune of some person on the coast of Norway or
North America
to find a living representative of this type of reptile which is thought to
have died out."

The late prominent Boston merchant and worthy gentleman, Amos Lawrence,
under date April 26, 1849, wrote: "I have never had any doubt of the existence of
the sea-serpent since the morning he was seen off Nahant by old Marshal
Prince,

p.383

through his famous mast-head spy-glass. For, within the next two hours, I
conversed with
Mr. Samuel Cabot, and Mr. Daniel P. Parker, I think, and one or more persons
besides,
who had spent a part of that morning in witnessing its movements. In
addition, Colonel
Harris, the commander at Fort Independence, told me that the creature had
been seen by
a number of his soldiers while standing sentry in the early dawn, some time
before this
show at Nahant; and Col. Harris believed it as firmly as though the creature
were drawn
up before us in State Street, where we then were. I again say, I have
never, from that day
to this, had a doubt of the Sea Serpent's existence."

The Mr. Cabot to whom Mr. Amos Lawrence refers gave a description of the
animal in a
letter to Col. T. H. Perkins, dated 19 August, 1819, from which the
following is extracted:
"I got into my chaise at Nahant about seven o'clock in the morning, to come
to Boston,
and on reaching the Long Beach, observed a number of people collected there
and several
boats pushing off and in the offing. I was speculating on what should have
occasioned
so great an assemblage there without any apparent object, and finally had
concluded that
they were Lynn people who were embarking in those boats on a party of
pleasure to
Egg Rock or some other point.

I had not heard of the Sea-Serpent as being in that neighborhood and I had
not lately paid
much attention to the evidences which had been given of its existence; the
idea of this
animal did not enter my mind at the moment. As my curiosity was directed
toward the
boats, to ascertain the course they were taking, my attention was suddenly
arrested by an
object emerging from the water at the distance of about one hundred or one
hundred and
fifty yards, which gave to my mind, at the first glance, the idea of a
horse's head.
As my eye ranged along, I perceived, at a short distance, eight or ten
regular bunches or
protuberances, and, at a short interval, three or four more.

I was now satisfied that the Sea-Serpent was before me and after the first
moment of
excitement, produced by the unexpected sight of so strange a monster, taxed
myself to
investigate his appearance as accurately as I could. My first object was
the head, which I
satisfied myself was serpent shaped. It was elevated about two feet from
the water,
and he depressed it gradually to within six or eight inches as he moved
along. I could
always see under his chin, which appeared hollow underneath, or to curve
downward. His
motion was at that time very slow, along the beach, inclining toward the
shore. He at first
moved his head from side to side as if to look about him. I did not see his
eyes, though I
have no doubt that I could have seen them if I had thought to attend to
this. His bunches
appeared to me not altogether uniform in size, and as he moved along, some
appeared to
be depressed, and others brought above the surface, though I could not
perceive any
motion in them. My next object was to ascertain his length. For this
purpose, I directed
my eye to several whale-boats at about the same distance, one of which was
beyond him
and by comparing the relative length, I calculated that the distance from
the animal's head
to the last protuberance I had noticed would be equal to about five of those
boats.

I felt persuaded by this examination that he could not be less than eighty
feet long. As he
approached the shore and came between me and a point of land which projects
from the
end of the beach, I had another means of satisfying myself on this point.
After I had
viewed him thus attentively for about four or five minutes, he sank
gradually into the water
and disappeared. He afterward again made his appearance for a moment at a
short
distance. After remaining some two or three hours on the beach, without
again seeing him,
I returned toward Nahant,

p.384

and, in crossing the Small Beach, had another good view of him for a longer
time, but
at a greater distance. At this time he moved more rapidly, causing a white
foam under
the chin, and a long wake, and his protuberances had a more uniform
appearance. At this
time he must have been seen by two or three hundred persons on the bech and
on heights
each side, some of whom were very favorably situated to observe him.
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth

There is more material concerning the Sea Serpent - p.384 to p. 386 - the
book is online
with David Blackwell's Books Online Project -
_http://www.usigs.org/library/books/ma/Lynn1890/_
(http://www.usigs.org/library/books/ma/Lynn1890/)


God Bless America
History & Genealogy Freely Shared
Janice Farnsworth
_http://tfeeney.esmartbiz.com/janice.htm_
(http://tfeeney.esmartbiz.com/janice.htm)
and
Toni Feeney
_http://www.tfeeney.esmartbiz.com/page7.htm_
(http://www.tfeeney.esmartbiz.com/page7.htm)
Ray Charles - America ~ His 9/11/2001 recording.
http://www.kids-teens.org/Greetings/america0.htm

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