Part 1

Chapter 12,736 wordsPublic domain

Transcriber’s Notes

Texts printed in italics and bold face or spaced in the source document have been transcribed between _underscores_, =equal signs= and ~tildes~ respectively. Superscript x is represented by ^x and ^{xx}. Small capitals have been transcribed as ALL CAPITALS.

More Transcriber’s Notes and a list of changes made may be found at the end of this text.

THE GREAT SEA-SERPENT.

AN HISTORICAL AND CRITICAL TREATISE.

WITH THE REPORTS OF 187 APPEARANCES (INCLUDING THOSE OF THE APPENDIX), THE SUPPOSITIONS AND SUGGESTIONS OF SCIENTIFIC AND NON-SCIENTIFIC PERSONS, AND THE AUTHOR’S CONCLUSIONS.

WITH 82 ILLUSTRATIONS.

BY A. C. OUDEMANS, JZN., DOCTOR OF ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MEMBER OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF THE NETHERLANDS, DIRECTOR OF THE ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL AND BOTANICAL SOCIETY (ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS) AT THE HAGUE.

PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR, OCTOBER 1892.

LEIDEN, E. J. BRILL, Oude Rijn 33^a.

LONDON, LUZAC & Co., Great Russell Street 46.

PRINTED AT E. J. BRILL’S, AT LEIDEN.

~THIS VOLUME~ IS DEDICATED TO ~OWNERS OF SHIPS AND YACHTS,~ SEA CAPTAINS AND ~ZOOLOGISTS.~

“It is always unsafe to deny positively any phenomena that may be wholly or in part inexplicable; and hence I am content to believe that one day the question will be satisfactorily solved”.--A. G. MELVILLE. (_See p. 397 of the present volume._)

Voyagers and sportsmen conversant with photography are requested to take the instantaneous photograph of the animal: this alone will convince zoologists, while all their reports and pencil-drawings will be received with a shrug of the shoulders.

As these animals are very shy, it is not advisable to approach them with a steamboat.

The _only_ manner to kill one _instantly_ will be by means of _explosive_ balls, or by harpoons loaden with nitro-glycerine; but as it most probably will sink, when dead, like most of the Pinnipeds, the harpooning of it will probably be more successful.

If an individual is killed, take the following measurements:--1. Length of the head from nose-tip to occiput.--2. Length of the neck from occiput to shoulders.--3. Length of the trunk from shoulders to tail-root.--4. Length of the tail from tail-root to end.--5. Distance from shoulders to fore-flappers.--6. Distance from shoulders to thickest part of the body.--7. Length of a fore-flapper.--8. Length of a hind-flapper.--9. Circumference of the head.--10. Circumference of the neck.--11. Circumference of the thickest part of the body.--12. Circumference of the tail-root.

Give a description of the animal, especially an accurate one of the head, the fore-flappers and the hind-flappers, and, if possible, make a sketch.

If but barely possible, preserve the whole skeleton, and the whole skin, but if this is utterly impracticable, keep the cleaned skull, the bones of one of the fore-flappers and those of one of the hind-flappers, four or five vertebrae of different parts of the backbone, neck, and tail; and preserve the skin of the head, and a ribbon of about a foot breadth along the whole back of the neck, the trunk, and the tail.

PREFACE.

In all ages meteoric stones have fallen on the earth. Many of them were found by persons who were in search of them; they preserved them, and thus collections were made in private rarity cabinets and in natural history cabinets. Many learned persons believed in meteoric stones, but many others were sceptical, and their attacks were so violent, and their mockery about stones that fell from the atmosphere, or were thrown by the men in the Moon to the inhabitants of the Earth, so sharp as to shake the belief of many a collector, and the happy possessor, fearing the mockery of the so-called learned men, concealed his treasures, or threw them away on the dust-hill, or in a ditch.

But at last there appeared a firm believer in aerolites, named CHLADNI, who took the trouble to collect all accounts concerning observations of meteoric stones from the ancient times up to the nineteenth century. He showed 1. The immense number of facts. 2. The strikingly concurrent testimony in all the accounts independent of one another.

In the year 1829 he published his work “Ueber Feuermeteore” (i. e. on Meteoric Stones) in Vienna, and from that moment the eyes of unbelievers were opened. Meteoric stones were again found, and were proved to be quite different from terrestrial stones. From that moment the belief in the existence of meteoric stones was fixed for ever.

The author of the present Volume has been at the pains to collect all accounts concerning observations of Sea-Serpents. His work has the same purpose as CHLADNI’S had in 1829. It is his sincere hope that it may meet with the same success.

THE HAGUE,

A. C. O. JZN.

February 1^{st}, 1891.

CONTENTS.

Page

Preface IX

List of illustrations XIII

I. Literature on the subject 1

II. Attempts to discredit the Sea-Serpent, cheats and hoaxes 12

III. Would-be Sea-Serpents 60

IV. The various accounts and reports concerning observations of Sea-Serpents, chronologically arranged and thoroughly discussed; and criticisms on the papers written about the subject 102

V. The various explanations hitherto given 380

VI. Conclusions 485 List of observations 485 A. Fables, fictions, exaggerations and errors 495 B. Facts 498 1. External characters 498 _a._ Dimensions 498 _b._ Form 505 _c._ Skin 511 2. Internal or anatomical characters 512 3. Colours, individual variations 513 4. Sexual differences, mane 515 5. Physiological characters 517 _a._ Nutritory functions 517 1. Eating, food 517 2. Breathing 518 3. Excretion 518 _b._ Functions of the senses 519 1. Feeling 519 2. Taste 519 3. Smell 519 4. Hearing 520 5. Sight 520 _c._ Functions of the muscular system 520 1. Relative mobility of organs 520 2. Motions 522 3. Voice 530 _d._ Generation, growth 530 6. Psychical characters 531 _a._ Not taking notice of objects 531 _b._ Taking notice of objects 531 _c._ Curiosity, probably mixed with suspicion 531 _d._ Suspicion 531 _e._ Harmlessness 532 _f._ Timidity 532 _g._ Fearlessness 532 _h._ Fear 532 _i._ Fright 533 _j._ Fury 533 _k._ Toughness 533 _l._ Playsomeness 533 _m._ Sensibility of fine weather 534 7. Enemies 535 8. Repose, sleep, death 535 9. Geographical distribution 537 10. Nomenclature 545 C. Conclusions 546 1. Comparison with allied animals 546 2. Its rank in the System of Nature 560

Appendix 572

Last word 592

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Page. Fig. 1.--_Thynnus thynnus_ (Linn.) 19 Fig. 2.--_Hydrarchos Sillimanni_ Koch 31 Fig. 3 and 4.--Would-be Sea-Serpent seen near Galveston 55 Fig. 5.--The Sea-Monster, as Mr. C. RENARD supposed to have seen it 58 Fig. 6.--The largest calamary, ever found, with a scale of 80 feet 61 Fig. 7.--The Animal of Stronsa 63 Fig. 8.--_Squalus maximus_, Linn. 72 Fig. 9.--_Chimaera monstrosa_, Linn. 76 Fig. 10.--_Lamna cornubica_ (Linn.) 78 Fig. 11.--A large calamary, swimming on the surface of the sea 88 Fig. 12.--_Lineus longissimus_, Sow 91 Fig. 13.--_Gymnetrus gladius_, Cuv. Val. 93 Fig. 14.--The Sea-Serpent, as represented by OLAUS MAGNUS 106 Fig. 15.--The Sea-Serpent, illustrating the text of GESNER 107 Fig. 16.--The second Sea-Serpent, illustrating the same work 108 Fig. 17.--The Sea-Serpent, as represented in the Basle edition of OLAUS MAGNUS’ work 109 Fig. 18.--The Sea-Serpent, illustrating the Map of Scandinavia in the Basle edition of OLAUS MAGNUS’ work 109 Fig. 19.--The Sea-Serpent, as seen by HANS EGEDE, drawn by Mr. BING 114 Fig. 20.--The same individual, plunging back into the water 115 Fig. 21.--The drawing of Mr. BING, as reprinted and altered in the _Illustrated London News_ of 1848 116 Fig. 22.--Mr. BING’S drawing, as copied by PONTOPPIDAN 119 Fig. 23.--Mr. BING’S drawing, as altered in Dr. HAMILTON’S work 120 Fig. 24.--The Sea-Serpent, as seen by Governor BENSTRUP 126 Fig. 25.--Mr. BENSTRUP’S drawing, as altered in Dr. HAMILTON’S work 127 Fig. 26.--The Sea-Serpent, as delineated by Mr. PRINCE 207 Fig. 27.--The Sea-Serpent, as seen by Mr. WARBURTON 234 Fig. 28.--The Sea-Serpent, as seen by the Officers of the _Daedalus_ 273 Fig. 29.--Another sketch of the same individual 274 Fig. 30.--A sketch of the head of the same individual 276 Fig. 31.--The Sea-Serpent, as seen by an officer of H. M. S. _Plumper_ 296 Fig. 32, 33, 34 and 35.--The Sea-Serpent as seen by Capt. GUY, of the _Imogen_ 304 Fig. 36.--The Sea-Serpent, as seen by Captains TREMEARNE and MORGAN 306 Fig. 37 and 38.--Two positions of the Sea-Serpent, as seen by Dr. BICCARD 308 Fig. 39 and 40.--Two positions of the Sea-Serpent, as seen by the Rev. JOHN MACRAE and the Rev. DAVID TWOPENY 323 Fig. 41.--The so-called “Fight between a sea-serpent and a sperm-whale” 330 Fig. 42.--Another representation of the so-called “Fight between a sea-serpent and a sperm-whale” 334 Fig. 43.--The sperm-whale going down head foremost to the bottom 335 Fig. 44.--The ridge of fins, mentioned in the report of the _Osborne_ 348 Fig. 45.--The Sea-Serpent as seen by Commander PEARSON and Lieutenant HAYNES of the _Osborne_ 349 Fig. 46.--The Sea-Serpent, as seen by Major SENIOR of the _City of Baltimore_ 357 Fig. 47.--Outline of the back of the Sea-Serpent, as seen by the Rev. H. W. BROWN 361 Fig. 48 and 49.--Two positions of the sea-serpent, as seen by Captain DAVISON of the _Kiushiu Maru_ 363 Fig. 50.--The Sea-Serpent, as seen from the Stettin Lloyd Steamer _Kätie_ near the Hebrides. Drawn under the supervision of the Captain, Mr. WEISZ, by the American animal-painter Mr. ANDREW SCHULTZ 367 Fig. 51.--Outline of the Sea-Serpent seen near Little Orme’s Head, drawn by Mr. F. T. MOTT, after three different sketches 369 Fig. 52.--_Phocaena phocoena_ (Linn.). 381 Fig. 53.--A row of porpoises 385 Fig. 54.--_Scoliophis atlanticus_, one sixth of full size 386 Fig. 55.--Its head, full size 386 Fig. 56.--_Hydrophis pelamidoides_ 390 Fig. 57.--_Balaenoptera physalus_ (Linn.). 398 Fig. 58.--_Ichthyosaurus communis_, skeleton 400 Fig. 59.--_Ichthyosaurus communis_, restored 400 Fig. 60.--_Plesiosaurus dolichodeirus_, skeleton 401 Fig. 61.--_Plesiosaurus dolichodeirus_, restored 402 Fig. 62.--_Chlamydosaurus_ 432 Fig. 63.--_Iguana tuberculata_ 433 Fig. 64.--_Catodon macrocephalus_ 435 Fig. 65.--_Basilosaurus_, skeleton 436 Fig. 66.--_Basilosaurus_, restored 436 Fig. 67.--_Basilosaurus_ as imagined by Mr. SEARLES V. WOOD, JUN. 442 Fig. 68.--_Eurypharynx pelecanoides_, Vaillant 445 Fig. 69.--_Macrorhinus leoninus_ (Linn.) 449 Fig. 70.--Position of a gigantic calamary, by which Mr. HENRY LEE explains Mr. BING’S drawing 475 Fig. 71.--_Thrichechus manatus_ Linné 482 Fig. 72.--Sea-Serpent, side view, outlines, drawn from the descriptions 516 Fig. 73.--Sea-Serpent, back view, outlines, drawn from the descriptions 516 Fig. 74.--_Zalophus californianus_ (Lesson) Allen?--Drawn by W. P. from a living specimen in the Brighton Aquarium.--From the _Illustrated London News_ of Jan. 6, 1877 547 Fig. 75.--_Zalophus californianus_ (Lesson) Allen?--Drawn by W. P. from a living specimen in the Brighton Aquarium.--From the _Illustrated London News_, of Jan. 6, 1877 548 Fig. 76.--_Eumetopias Stelleri_ (Lesson) Peters.--Drawn by the animal-painter G. MÜTZEL from a living specimen in the Zoological Gardens of Berlin.--From the _Illustrirte Zeitung_ of Jan. 27, 1877 549 Fig. 77.--_Eumetopias Stelleri_ (Lesson) Peters.--Sketched by the animal-painter G. MÜTZEL from a living specimen in the Zoological Gardens of Berlin. From the _Illustrirte Zeitung_ of Jan. 27, 1877 550 Fig. 78.--_Eumetopias Stelleri_ (Lesson) Peters.--Sketched from a living specimen by the animal-painter G. MÜTZEL in the Zoological Gardens of Berlin. From the _Illustrirte Zeitung_ of Jan. 27, 1877 550 Fig. 79.--_Eumetopias Stelleri_ (Lesson) Peters.--Sketched by the animal-painter G. MÜTZEL from a living specimen in the Zoological Gardens of Berlin. From the _Illustrirte Zeitung_ of Jan. 27, 1877 551 Fig. 80.--_Eumetopias Stelleri_ (Lesson) Peters.--Sketched by the animal-painter G. MÜTZEL from a living specimen in the Zoological Gardens of Berlin. From the _Illustrirte Zeitung_ of Jan. 27, 1877 551 Fig. 81.--_Otaria jubata_ (Forster) Desmarest.--From the List of the Vertebrated Animals now or lately Living in the Gardens of the Zoological Society of London, 1877 552 Fig. 82.--_Callorhinus ursinus_ (Linné). Gray.--From BREHM’S, “Thierleben” 553

Literature on the Subject.

An asterisk (*), placed before the works, mentioned in the list, signifies that the author has had no opportunity to consult them.

1555.--=Olaus Magnus.= Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus, earumque diversis statibus, conditionibus, etc., etc. Romae, 1555, p. 771.

*1556.--=Olaus Magnus.= Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus, etc., etc., (Editio nec Romae nec Basileae).

1560.--=Gesner.= Nomenclator aquatilium animantium (= Historia animalium liber IV), Tiguri, 1560, p. 93, 94.

1567.--=Olaus Magnus.= Historia de gentium septentrionalium variis conditionibus statibusve, etc., etc., Basileae, 1567, p. 799.

*1608.--=Edward Topsell.= The history of serpents, or the second booke of living creatures. With wood cuts in-fol. London, 1608, (315 pag.).

1640.--=Aldrovandus.= Serpentum et draconum historiae libri duo. Bononiae, 1640, p. 58, 59, 296.

1653.--=Jonston.= Historiae naturalis de piscibus et cetis libri V, et de serpentibus et draconibus libri II. Francofurti, 1653.

1657.--=Jonston.= Historiae naturalis de piscibus et cetis libri V, et de serpentibus et draconibus libri II, Amstelodami, 1657.

1660.--=Jonston.= Naeukeurige beschrijving van de natuur der vissen en der slangen en draken. Amsterdam, 1660. Deel II en IV.

*1665.--=Jonston.= Historiae naturalis de piscibus et cetis libri V, et de serpentibus et draconibus libri II, Amstelodami, 1665.

1667.--=Milton.= Paradise Lost. I, 192-208.

1668.--=Charleton.= Onomasticon zoicon. Londini, 1668. p. 34.

*1670.--=Berndsen.= Danmarks og Norges fruchtbare Herlighed, 1670?

1674.--=Adam Olearius.= Gottorfische Kunstkammer. Schleswig, 1674.

*1690.--=Ramus.= Norges Beskrivelse, 1690?

1718.--=Jonston.= Theatrum universale omnium animalium, Amstelaedami. Edidit =Ruysch=. 1718.

*1722.--=Jean Baptiste Labat.= Nouveau Voyage aux Isles de l’Amérique, contenant l’histoire naturelle de ces pays, etc. 6 Vols. Paris, Giffard, 1722. 12^o.

1724.--=Jean Baptiste Labat.= Nouveau Voyage aux Isles de l’Amérique, contenant l’histoire naturelle de ces pays, etc. 6 Vols. La Haye, 1724.

1725.--=Père Labat.= Nieuwe reizen naar de franse eilanden van Amerika: In ’t Nederlandsch in ’t ligt gebracht door =W. C. Dijks=. Amsterdam, 1725, Vol. IV. P. I. p. 43.--Vol. IV. P. II. p. 105.

*1730.--=P. Dass.= Beskrivelse over Nordland. 1730?

*1740.--=Hans Egede.= (A Full and Particular Relation of his Voyage to Greenland, as a Missionary, in the year 1734, printed in Danish at) Kjoebenhavn, 1740.

*1740.--=Hans Egede.= Ausführliche und Wahrhafte Nachricht vom Anfange und Fortgange der Groenländischen Mission, etc. Hamburg, 1740. 4^o.

1741.--=Paul Egede.= Continuation af Relationerne betreffende den Groenlanske Mission, Tilstand og Beskaffenhed, Kjoebenhavn, 1741.

*1741.--=Paul Egede.= Fortgesetzte Relationen die Groenländische Mission betreffend; Kopenhagen, 1741.

1741.--=Hans Egede.= Det gamle Groenlands nye Perlustration. Kjoebenhavn, 1741.

1742.--=Hans Egede.= Des alten Groenlands neue Perlustration. Copenhagen, 1742.

*1742.--=Paul Egede.= Journal of the mission to Greenland, 2^d. Vol. London, 1742. (The first Vol. by =Hans Egede=, and the third Vol. by =Niels Egede= do not contain anything about the subject.)

*1742.--=Labat.= Nouveau Voyage aux Isles françaises de l’Amérique, VII, p. 341. Paris, 1742.

1742.--=Charles Owen.= An Essay towards a Natural History of Serpents. London, John Gray, 1742.

*1743?--=Paul Egede.= Efterretninger om Grönland. Kjöbenhavn, 1743? p. 45-46.

*1745.--=Hans Egede.= A description of Greenland. London. 1745.

1746--=Hans Egede.= Beschrijving van Oud Groenland, Delft, 1746.

*1753--=Eric Pontoppidan.= Det förste Forsög paa Norges natuurlige Historie. Kjoebenhavn, 2^d. Vol. 1753.

1754.--=Erich Pontoppidan.= Versuch einer natuerlichen Historie von Norwegen, 2^d. Vol. Cap. VIII. § 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Kopenhagen, 1754.

1755.--=Eric Pontoppidan.= The Natural History of Norway. London, 1755.

*1760.--=Hans Egede.= New Natural History of Greenland. 1760.?

1763.--=Hans Egede.= Description et Histoire Naturelle de Groenland. Copenhague et Genève, 1763.

1763.--=Hans Egede.= Beschreibung und Naturgeschichte von Groenland. Berlin, 1763.

*1764.--=Jonston.= Theatrum universale omnium animalium. Heilbron, 1764.

*1765.--=Knud Leems.= Beskrivelse over Finmarkens Lapper, 1765.

*1767.--=Canutus Leemius.= De Lapponibus Finmarchiae eorumque lingua, vita et religione historia, c. notis =J. E. Gruneri=. (Text in Latin and Danish.) 2 Vols. 4^o. with 100 figgs.

*1768.--=Jonston.= Historia naturalis de piscibus et cetis, et de serpentibus et draconibus. Rouan, 1768.

*1771.--=Knud Leems.= Nachrichten von den Lappen in Finmarken, ihrer Sprache, Sitten, u. s. w. Aus dem Dän. übers. v. =J. J. Volckmann=. Leipzig, 1771. 8^o.

*1789.--=Paul Egede.= (Intelligences from Greenland, in the original Danish language). Kjoebenhavn, 1789.

*1790.--=Paul Egede.= Nachrichten von Groenland aus einem Tagebuch geführt von 1721-1788. Kopenhagen, 1790.

*1805.--=Peter Ascanius.= Icones rerum naturalium, ou figures enluminées d’histoire naturelle du Nord. Cah. V. Copenhague 1805. (In the first four Cahiers the author does not touch the subject).

1808, Nov.--_The Philosophical Magazine._ Vol. 32, p. 190.

1809, Jan.--_The Philosophical Magazine._ Vol. 33, p. 90.

1809, March.--_The Philosophical Magazine._ Vol. 33, p. 251.

1809, May.--_The Philosophical Magazine._ Vol. 33, p. 411.

1809, July.--=E. Home.= An anatomical account of the _Squalus Maximus_, which, etc.--_Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society at London_, 1809. Vol. 98, p. 206-220.

1811, March.--=Dr. Barclay.= Remarks on some parts of the animal that was cast ashore on the Island of Stronsa, September 1808.--_Memoirs of the Wernerian Natural History Society_, Vol. I.