The Sea Serpent.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 350, 22 January 1903, Page 4

The Sea Serpent.

Mr A. H. Rayuer, second officer of the steamship Fort Salisbury (Bucknall line), which arrived recently at Plymouth from the Cape, sends the following to the " Daily Mail": " Extact from the log of the second officer of the steamship Fort Salisbury: October 28,3 5 a.m.—Dark object, with long, luminous trailing wake, thrown in relief by a phosphorescent sea, seen ahead, a little on starboard bow. Look-out reported two masthead lights ahead. These two lights, almost as bright as a steamer's lights, appeared to shine from two points in line of the upper surface of the dark mass. Concluded dark mass was a whale and lights phosphorescent. On drawing nearer, mass and lights sank below the sufrace. Prepared to examine the wake in passing with binoculars. " Passed about 40 to 50 yards on port side of wake, and discovered it was the scaled back of some huge monster slowly disappearing below the surface. The breadth of the body showing above water tapered about 30ffc close abaft where the dark mass had appeared to about sft at the exts&jib-: end visible. Length roughly awilfe 500 to 600 ft. " € " Concluded that the dark mass first seen must have been the creature's head. The swirl caused by the monster's progress could be distinctly heard, and a strong odour like that of a low tide beach on a summer day pervaded tbe air. Twice along its length the disturbance of the water and a broadening of the surrounding belt of phosphorus indicated the presence of huge fins in motion below the surface."