A SIGHT OF THE SEA SERPENT.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 312, 31 October 1888, Page 4

A SIGHT OF THE SEA SERPENT.

I wa.s enjoying the fresh beauty of the morning and the exultant feeling excited by our rapid motion, and picturing to my imagination the delight with which my lather would welcome the appearance of our snowy canvas — when we should heave in sight — when my visions were dispersed by a loud cracking sound like the report of aiifle, Irom &ome distance away on our weather-bow. I looked in that direction, and caught momentary glimpse of some distant object whirling in the air, and immediately alterwards the sound was repeated. I stood up to get a better a iew over the low ridges of the sea, and at the same • instant caught bight ot what looked like a jet of steam rising out ot the ocean. ' There she blows !' exclaimed I involuntaiily aloud. Again up w hhled the object I had before oliMjtved; again it descended, and again ! came the rifle-like report. 1 knew in an instant now what it was. An uniortunate whale had fallen in with lub inveterate enemy, a 'thresher,' and had been forthwith attacked. I could plainly distinguish the liuge creature plunging along at a great rate, and at an angle ol about 45 degrees with our course, so that he was standing in such a directionas would take him across our bows. From the persistent manner in which he remained at the suiiacc I came to the conclusion that he had a second enemy to contend with in the shape ot a sword-fish. Indeed, the way in which he began to plunge about soon put the matter beyond a doubt. J was turning ovei in my mind whether I should call Bob to see the sight when the whale, with a mighty effort, (lung his huge bulk completely out of the water, to a height oi, I should say, fifteen or twenty feet, and sure enough hanging to him was a huge sword-h&h, with his beak driven deep into the muscles about the root of the peioecuted animal's tail. J shouted to Bob to come on deck at once, for we had neared each other &o much by this time that i had an excellent view of the combat And, moreover, it struck me that a slight deviation in the coui&e of the combatants might bring them within extremely unpleasant proximity to the little Lily, and I thought l might be prudent to have Bob on deck. He was up in an instant, not waiting to pei form the almost superfluous ceremony ot dressing, and there we both stood, so intensely ab-oibed in the interest of the exciting spectacle that the little cratt was almost lett to take careot herself. The whale had got very neatly straight ahead of us by this time, and not more than half a mile distant. Bob went torwaid and stood lean ing against the mabt to get a somewhat better view. Suddenly the chaser bore shaiply up, and dashed away at tremendous speed in exactly the opposite direction to that which he had been pursuing before. Almost at the same in&tant Bob shiieked iv a shrill unnatural tone ot voice — 'Lull! Harry — luff! round with her for the Loid"s sake ! Oh, my God !' Down went the helm, and up flew the little Lily into the wind, and i was ]ust stooping to let go the head-sheets (which led aft) when 1 caught a glimpse of Bob's face, white and drawn with horror, and his eyco— almost starting out ot his head — staring fixedly at something apparently broad on our stai board bow. 1 looked naturally in the same direction myself, and never to my dying day shall I forget the frightful, appalling object which met my ga/e. At a distance of not more than than three cables' lengths from us, rushing through the water at a speed equal to that of a railway train, and lashing the water into foam witn the rapid movement of his huge convulsions, a monstrous serpent appeared, darting towards the wretched persecuted whale. His vast head and fully twenty feet of his body towered nearly erect above tha water, and I believe I am not exaggerating — nay, that I am within the mark — w hen I say that the lemaining portion of his body to the tail was at least six times that length. His head was shaped much like that of a python, and his enormous jaws, which he frequently opened, disclosed a formidable array of sDiong sharp fangs. His body was of a deep dead brown, broadly marked with iriegular stripes and rings of pale stonecolour, and he emitted a strong musky odour, which, even at our distance from him, was almost overpowering. Once, when he was closest to us, he tinned his head in our direction, and tor one dread moment he paused, seeming to gather his folds together as though about io dart upon us, and the bitterness of a frightful death thrilled through me. The next instant he &ped on once more at still greater speed, and before another minute passed the whale was overtaken. The ocean was for a single instant lashed into the semblance of a boiling cauldron ; wo saw a rapid whirling movement ot the creatures enoimous coils, and then followed the deep bellowing ciies of the tortured whale, and the crunching sound of its i ci ushing bones. i During the minute or two which had passed since our helm was put down, the Lily had been lying to on the starboard tack, our headsheets still remaining fast on the starboard side. The seizure of the whale awokeme as, from a horrible nightmare, to the fearful peril to which we still remained exposed, and I jammed the helm hard up, and wore the ciatt sharp round on her heel until dead before the wind, when 1 eased off the main sheet, ahd we hurried as fast as the wind would take us away from the spot. As soon as we had got the Water Lily round, and were fairly running away from our dangerous neighbour, we both with one accord turned a look astern to ascertain tne condition of things in that quarter. The serpent and the whale had both disappeared. Doubtless the former had sunk with his prey to those profound depths which form his usual habitat, there to enjoy his meal undisturbed. • Well,' at last exclaimed Bob, "I've been knocking about at sea now nigh on thirty years, and many's |fche strange sights these good-lookidg eyes of mine have looked upon in that time, out this here sarpent beats all. I never seed the likes of the thing afore, and I don't care if I never sees it agin. I've been tell of such things bein' fallen in with, sartainly ; but I never could meet with a man as had act'aily seed the beast with his own eyes, and I put it all down as a yarn for the marines. But seem' is belicvin', and we've had a good look at him, and no mistake. I'm quite satisfied ; I don't want to see no more to make me a believer in sich things.