THE SEA SERPENT SURPASSED.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 284, 29 December 1876, Page 4

THE SEA SERPENT SURPASSED.

The Nicbi nichi-shiobun haa a won-d-srful aeooaat ot the ascent to heaven ol a water ao*ke near the village of NMrri-mura ia the proyince of ObiJtuzen, Jspsn. A large snake ascended co heaven irom the l»ke Itacbi,, where fie had lived for many years. The .fallowing report, containing a full (account «£ tbe event, has been pre-

ebntecl to the provincial governor, by the Kucho. The letter is headed "jThe ascent to heaven of a Urge shake.— Reported with respeot. To« day, I, Morimaea, and seven others vlere attending to our usual business iii the district office. About 1.12., the office boy, by name Heisuke, ran in and informed us in great haste, that jua. then a snake was ascending to heaven. We asked him, * Where ?' in j a dubious manner. He replied, 'You can eee it before the front gate.' Each oi: us started from his chair, and to our great wonder we found the boy's words were true. Tbe white clouds ff.w high in the air. We saw ooe di_rk Cloud, under which half the body oli tbe snake was visible. It was about 540 feet in length, and tbe end of its tt.il was about 3 feet in diameter iu its largest part and the point of the tail was about 1| feet in diameter. Its movement seemed like that of the rolling waves. For about five minutes thie serpent was creeping into the clioud. It was seen no more again. I. was just like a small snake creeping on the ground. No wind was blowing at the time, and no rain fell. But the dark cloud turned round on itself. In fiO minutes it ascended up high into heaven, and tha white olouds dispersed in ail directions gradually. We write the above account of wbat we bave really seen without the slightest Btretch of imagination. We report tbis res-pectfally.~SnrKNAGA-MoBiMA.sA."