An account in Gloucester, Massachusetts

I, Solomon Allen 3d, of Gloucester, in the county of Essex, Ship master, depose and say ; that I have seen a strange marine animal, that I believe to be a serpent, in the harbour in said Gloucester. T should judge him to be between eighty and ninety feet in length, and about the size of a half barrel, apparently having joints from his head to his tail. I was about one hundred and fifty yards from him, when I judged him to be of the size of a half barrel. His head formed something like the head of the rattle snake, but nearly as large as the head of a horse. When he moved on the surface of the water, his motion was slow, at times playing about in circles, and sometimes moving nearly straight forward. When he disappeared, he sunk apparently directly down, and would next appear at two hundred * yards from where he disappeared, in two minutes. His colour was a dark brown, and I did not discover any spots upon him. Question. When did you first see this animal ? Answer. I saw him on the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth of August, A. D. 1817. Q . How often, and how long at a time ? A. I was in a boat on the twelfth inst. and was around him several times, within one hundred and fifty yards of him. On the thirteenth inst. I saw him nearly all the day, from the shore. I was on the beech, nearly on a level with him, and most of the time he was from one hundred and fifty to three hundred yards IS from me. On the fourteenth, I saw him but once, and had not so good a view of him. Q. What parts of it were above the surface of the water, and how high ? 4 . Its joints or bunches, appeared about eight or ten inches above the surface of the water. Q, Did it bend its bod/ up and down in moving, or to the right and left ? A He moved to the right and left. Q. How many distinct portions of it were out of water, at one time ? A I should say fifty distinct portions. Q. Did it appear smooth or rough ? A. It appeared rough and scaly. 6' Had it ears, horns, or any other appendages ? A. I perceived none. Q. How did its tail terminate ? A. He seemed to taper towards (what l thought) his tail, though I had no distinct view of his tail. Q. Did it utter any sound. A. Not in my hearing. Q. Did it appear to pursue, avoid, or notice any thing ? A. It appeared to me to avoid the boat where I was, though afterwards, I saw him make towards a boat, in which was Mr. Goffney and others. Q. Did you see more than one ? A. I did not. Q. How many persons saw it ? A. Twenty or thirty persons were in view of me. Q. Did he open his mouth when you saw him, and if so, how wide i A. Yes, when I looked at him from the shore with a glass, at about two hundred yards distance, his mouth appeared to be open about ten inches. I had no glass, when I saw him from the boat. » 13 Q. Did he carry his head above the surface of the water ? A. Yes, at times, about two feet, then again he would carry the top of his head just on the surface of the water. ( 3 . Did he turn short and quick, and what was the form of the curve that he made, when he turned? A. He turned short and quick, and the first part of the curve that he made in turning resembled the link of a c ain ; but when his head came parallel with his tail, his head and tail appeared near together. SOLOMON ALLEN, 3d. Essex ss. August 21, 1817.