Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette - Thursday 16 April 1761
They write from Calais, that a Sea Monster lately ran on Shore between that Place, and Boulogne, 48 Feet in Length, and 12 in Thickness. It is not like a Whale. When its Mouth is open, the Distance between the upper and lower Jaw is five Feet. One of its Teeth weighed 17 Ounces.
Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette - Thursday 16 April 1761
United States. PORTLAND, (Mafr) Aug. 3. SEA MONSTER. Capt. Crabtree, who lately arrived at Frenchman's bay, and now in this town, gives the following account of a lea-lerpent, the authenticity of which may be dependended on : O is the 20th of June laft, being on my pallage from the Weft Indies, in the morning, having jolt made Mount-Defart Wand, dillant nearly ten leagues, I fuddenly got fight of a Serpent of an enormous fize,fwinsming on the furface of the ocean, its head elevated about fix or eight feet out of water, tather prone forward. That part of the body which was out of water, I judged to be a- : bout the fize of a bane) in circumference, but the head larger, having fume relemblance of a hot fe's. According to the molt accurate computation which I made in my mind, of his length, I think it could not be lefs than front 5 to 6o feet, and pet haps longer. That part of the body which was not elevated, but of which I bad a diftinet view fete. sal times, was larger than the pate out of water. The body of a dark brown. I was within two Is yards of it near an hour which time, as it dileuvered no inclina,ion to molett its, mylclf aid the whole crew °Vet ved it with the minutell attention ; nor was its at !coition let's fixed its. The eye was perfeetly lii.ick, tharp, and pitrcing. I was I near it as to obterve cleat ly that there were no or external appenclagei the Ito; but that its motion was by tile wriitiing of the truly, like other let penis. Durinz the time it was with us fcveral flocks of Wrist flew it eyed very 11.11'10M ly. I iti it the reared ,sglitty and gout.- of There is doolit but this is "tie of the two which lia‘c beeti lecoi iii thefe parts. All accounts agrs.e Ipect usg I heir lite and appeal Twit of them tate fame) were once fern on the lhure of Cranberry Minds, but immediately took to inc water being dilcuvered. There are the fillt ever feels in our leas, that we have ally account of, though they have been leen on the coal t of Norway, mole than too feet in length. At a general meeting of the citizens of Part :and, OH Limo 2 9 111 day of July, Capt. Nathaitiel
The Scots Magazine - Monday 06 November 1758
A description of the Miscellaneous Plate. Fig. I. and 3. are two views of the real Mermaid, frequent, as Mr Barbot, in his voyage to Congo river, says, in the lakes Angola, in the province of Massingan. The Portuguese, in whose settlements these creatures abound, call them peixe mother, or woman-fish; and the French, syrene. They are found both male and female, of various sizes ; the largest about eight feet long, with short arms and hands, but long fingers, which they cannot close, because they are webbed. They feed upon grass on the sides of lakes and rivets, and only hold their heads out of the water. Their heads and eyes are oval, the forehead high, the nose flat, and the mouth wide, without any chin or ears. The males have genitals like horses, and the females two prominent breasts ; but in the water there is no distinguishing the one from the other, both being a dark grey colour. Fig. I. represents the mermaid when laid upon her back. Fig. 3. shews her as she swims in the water. There are several medical virtues attributed by the natives of Angola to different bones in this animal: some of the cheek-bones they beat to powder, and take in wine for the gravel and stone; of the ribs, especially those next the heart, they make bracelets, and wear them to prevent hemorrhages, or to stop immoderate bleeding, when they happen to be seized with it. Merolla fays, the river Zair abounds with these monstrous fishes, resembling a woman upwards, but the lower part like a fish, and ending in a fish's tail. The natives eat their flesh, which tastes much like pork, and are very fond of it. But, after all, this does not seem quite to agree with the sea-monsters described by voyagers under that name. Capt. Whitbourne, in a voyage he made to Newfoundland, says, that in the river St John, a surprising creature, resembling a woman by the face, nose, mouth, chin, ears, neck, and forehead, and as beautiful, came very swiftly swimming towards him ; that being afraid its leaping upon him, he stept back, and then the creature dived, by which he had an opportunity of seeing its back down to the middle ; which he affirms to be as square, white, and smooth, as the back of a man; the breasts he did not see. He adds, that about its head, it had many blue streaks, that looked like hair, but was certainly not hair; and that afterwards it attempted to get into a boat, but the men being frightened, one of them flruck it a blow the head, which made it quit its hold- This, perhaps, is the most authentic account of the sea-mermaid that has been yet given. In the history of Denmark, indeed, there is an account of creatures seen about Greenland, which the natives call ha stramb, or man-fish, having the eyes, nose, head, shoulders, and arms, of a man; but without hands, and transparent as ice.
The females they call marrugweg, or woman-fish.
These have large breasts, long hair, arms and fingers webbed, with which they catch fish. The Danes super- stitiously fancy, that when these creatures ap- pear, they presage storms; and that if they are seen with their backs to the ship, it will inevi- tably perish, but if with their faces, it will cer- tainly escape. Navarre, in his Voyages, fpeak s " $ in India and about Manilla, and ta * fpe j the great virtue in its bones; and o' their being caught on the coart ot o 167 a man-filh was leen near the 1 i c atinico; and there are many attel' reality of fuch monfters, that it ' ! J), donable incredulity not to believe '? t ,e Fig. 2. is the Sun-fijb, caught z- Angola, in about deg. S. lat. |y J four feet long and three in breadtn, er oval form, with a monftrous .r' OV eyes, and a little mouth. It was e> c hard, dark, brown, lhagreen &'" blJ t it had two fi<>s, moving very The flclhof it is milk-white, and ftifli! ?[> to eat, rifmg in flakes l.ke cod, ( |iif thornback. The liver produced at> v of oil, and the other intrails boiled cious. , c> fir Fig. 4. is the Guinea Hcrn-fi/*') r ft upon that coatl, though very al *T f o& $ lhot, who made the drawing, t0 its p life. It was about four feet long; which feems rather for vr ' fence, was about three feet iong, a-] pointed. c Fig. ;. is a rare bird, a native o f fl) - of Martinico. TheEnglilh call the French, a frigate. Both fa( mcd it from the fame quality, J'} . i< lea, and with great velocity. S vVl ' and Ipreading, and what is very u " t fpil l markafcly flexible. They are a l rC j,y point out land. .. a'' u'' Fro- 6. from its remarkable tail? 1 the French Paille cu, or the ' c likewife a native of the Caribbees , to the former, never ventures about the lhore. Fig. 7. is an uncommon agers have given name. > upon the coafts of Guinea, e ' -fh c from which he made the d raW ' n ?' itwas like that of large dog, the ff fit of a mole, the hoofs like thole a }(l tail feathered and fliff, as print. It feeds chicfly on ants anJ the blacks fay it can dig as faft W' l " has the power of making its way f. with as much fpeed, as man , walk. Cr. Mag. Mag'
