THE SEA SERPENT IN NEW ZEALAND WATERS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 56, 6 March 1878, Page 4

THE SEA SERPENT IN NEW ZEALAND WATERS.

Auckland, Feb. 26. A passenger by the steamer Durham, writes to the Star, giving a description of a sea monster seen in the Hauraki Gulf from the vessel when bound for CoromaDiel. He says, we were ureatly surprised at appearance threequarters of a mile from the steara j r of a leviathan head shaped like that of an eel, or as some remarked, liks a seal. The monster reared its mighty form out of the sea to a bout 20ft perpendicular height, remaining erect for several seconds. It th^n daahed its head forwurds into fhe wafer, creating a dis turbuuee therein likw the plunge of a sliip downwards, and parting the sea in large foaming waves. Then, after a short time, before we could recover from our astonishment, the stupendous animal arose again, brought its head down in the manner described, and this it did twelve to fifteen titne3 in succession, as if the creature ha:i bean aitncked, orni was in great pain. Ai least (hit was the general opinion expreßsed. Its breadth appeared from cix to eight feet. It had two enormouß fias. Wa could form no idea as to the length of the creature, but judging from the immense bulk Been out of the water, it may have been quite as long a monster as that reported once to have been- seen off New South Wales, Of course, this will create numerous sapient exclamations amongst your readers, such aa "Oh ! the great serpant myatery again." But so far as the real live specimen was concerned, there wa3 no mistake with the observers on this occasion, for it was unpleasantly apparent that our steamer would have stood about the same chance, if ihe monster had been encouutered, aa a whaleboat running upon a whale in a slate of excitement. If some mystified old geologist had been at the exhibition, bis mind might have been thrust upon the wonders of the polite world aud have imagined rq enormous marine saurian of that age not yet extinct. The captain turned the sleamer'a head in the direction of the raonater, which suddenly disappeared as we nearer the supposed spot. The btar adds— " Since receiving the above commuuication, one of our reporters iv. torviewed with Captain Somervilie of the Durham, and from him we learn thai the particulars of the affair, as given above, are substantially correct. Captain Someiville gives the following statement, which he ia willing to testify on oath :— " I w*b engaged at (iiuuer in my cabin, when the mate called out to me to come and look at what he thought was a whale. The vessel was then passing Brown's Island. On going on deck I saw a large monster, which I thought was a common spouting bhek fish, but on looking clos ly 1 found that it w»a not the case. Ii had a heal reaemblini thnf, of an immense e-l, with » pair of n\n. c* vinoii 10-.k-d very ni'i.sh hk- e«.rs ■" n;- k 'in i p ß n (J t t> ia , h) ) y we , ":' it! =i v . «it, f) an 1 ».- ft », • ■ nou 30 ' « ! i- ■'>• »■-. Th :o r,-o? 'he wi.ol !• - '-V jtl- fk f)... |. )0 »y „y_ :V • • o ■- JO .'c-: Wl /,Ii :' i ■ ' '' '•'■' "> "f. ••• - io<! jis If H(! VV ' ' O • S ..'> o v 'O nUinv i ' 3vi •. Ii 1 in mi - ( | in tj,j s posi'iou ' • uthiut . miouie, the steamer teiu^ >'>out „ mile f.om ihe spot. Suddenly ■iie ueck au.J head came dovvn on the water with a loud crash, and spray was thrown tor a lona; distance round. I immediately ran b..ck to my cubia for my gla S 3. On examicin^ tta monster tuoro closely I was convinced that it »vas neither a blank fiali nor a thresher. 1 a. ,: '• -o wA\ a.-qiaiuie.- -uth iua s a fis-i not. fo kuow the difference. It, W'ifi hkt! oii9 ot thu a.;a serpentd wlucii ii ye bttci! no often described in ncwapsp is. if, wh»n beating the w;tler wiih ih- »ppe( portiou of its body, it ti "siru'k ue Bf,-m of the Vessel, tha •• "W w0. .-I 1 ecM'aiiiiy ii«vo shatier3l it j [>it cvf. T»>« ■■ isse! p^oc-eedad in 11 "' 1 i°"' ot ■-:•_> supp.sfjd sorpuat, v 1 „iv .1 Hud :Hinpp«afed iv tho dllfcC IOt) ot lilt 6 11 iSpit."