The sea serpent vs. the whale, 1818
One thing on which observers of the sea serpent frolicking off the coast of Massachusetts in 1817 agreed was that it was—as one journalist put it later—a “famed enemy of small fish.” Another enemy appears to have been the hump-back whale, according to observers on the Delia, who witnessed a dramatic battle between the enormous serpent and a hapless whale in 1818.
It’s a stunning scene: the gigantic sea serpent walloping a whale, apparently to drive it out of the serpent’s fishing grounds. And a sturdy serpent it was, able to keep 40 to 50 feet of its body high out of the water for long periods of time. And it is—like most observations published in 1818—described in an affidavit signed before a justice of the peace.
This sighting was attested to by more than one witness. The first published was from Shubael West, captain of the Delia; the second came from a passenger. (Charmingly, the Delia appears to have been named for West’s daughter; see the announcement of the marriage of Delia West to Ariel Mann. [American Advocate [Hallowell, Maine] 13 August 1814; p. 3])
“The Sea Serpent Again!” American Advocate and Kennebec Advertiser [Hallowell, Maine] 27 June 1818 [Saturday]; p. 3.
The following account of the Sea Serpent, while it fully confirms former statements as to his enormous size, gives a more just idea of his monstrous powers than any which has preceded it. How vast must be the body of a serpent that when lying in the water could easily, and for a length of time, support near fifty feet of its length in an erect position above the surface! and how wonderful his strength who could attack and beat the whale in mere sport! Is not this the Leviathan indeed? Captain West is a man well known to us—and the correctness and veracity of his statement will not be doubted by any one who knows him.
I, Shubael West, of Hallowell, in the County of Kennebec, Master of the Packet Delia, plying between Kennebec River and Boston, testify and say, that I left Boston on the morning of Sunday the 21st instant, and at about 6 o’clock, P. M. Cape Ann bearing W. S. W. about 2 leagues, steering a course N. N. E. saw directly ahead, distant three fifths of a mile, an object which I have no doubt was the SEA SERPENT so often mentioned by others, engaged with a Whale that was endeavoring to elude the attack. The Serpent threw up his tail from 25 to 30 feet in a perpendicular direction, striking the Whale with tremendous blows rapidly repeated, which were distinctly heard & very loud, for two or three minutes. They then both disappeared for several minutes moving in a W. S. W. direction, when they reappeared, in shore of us, and about under the sun, the reflection of which was so strong as to prevent our seeing so distinctly as before—when the tremendous blows were repeated and as clearly heard as before.—They again went down for a short time and again came up to the surface under our larboard quarter, the Whale appearing first and the Serpent in pursuit. Here our view was very fair. The Serpent shot up his tail thro’ the water to the height before mentioned, which he held out of water some time, waving it in the air, and at the same time, while his tail remained in this position raised his head rather leisurly [sic] 15 or 20 feet, as if taking a view of the surface of the sea. After remaining in this situation a short time, he again sunk into the water, disappeared, and was not seen after by any on board.
The Serpents [sic] body was larger, in my opinion, than the mast of any ship I ever saw; his tail appeared very ragged and rough, and was shaped something like an eels; [sic] and his head like that of the land Serpent. Being well acquainted with whaling, I think the Whale was endeavoring to escape, as he spouted but once at a time on coming to the surface. The Whale’s back was distinctly seen, as well as his spouting, and the last time he appear[e]d he went down before the Serpent came up. The above was seen by all on board, amounting to 15 or 18 persons, as well as myself, with the exception of one woman.
During our view, the combatants had passed a mile or more. The Whale was a hump-back, and a pretty large one.
SHUBAEL WEST.
Kennebec, ss.
Hallowell, June, [sic] 27, 1818.
Then the above named Shubael West personally appeared before me the subscriber, one of the Justices of the Peace within and for the County of Kennebec, and made solemn oath that the above statement of facts by him subscribed is just and true.
A. MANN.
An affidavit from a passenger on the Delia was published later. Samuel Schmid’s description is vivid and detailed, and his honesty was attested to by Thomas Cooper, then professor of chemistry and mineralogy at the University of Pennsylvania. When published in the Columbian Centinel, Schmid’s account was accompanied by an academic discussion of the evidence, which included proportions recorded from a smaller critter captured in September 1817.
“More of the Sea Serpent.” Columbian Centinel [Boston, Massachusetts] 18 July 1818 [Wednesday]; p. 1.
[The following affidavit of Mr. Schmid, a gentleman of talents, experience, and veracity, has been published in the Hallowell Gazette. It fully confirms the certificate of Capt. West, published some time since:—]
AFFIDAVIT.
I, Samuel Schmid, of Philadelphia, testify and say, as follows:
On Sunday, the 21st instant, between the hours of 5 and 6 P. M. about 2 or 3 leagues to the E. N. E. of Cape Ann, being on board the Delia, Capt. Shubael West, on my passage from Boston to Hallowell, in Maine; I saw, ahead of the vessel, a tall white object, standing upright out of the water; which I thought might be a pillar set up for some particular purpose. I viewed it alone therefore for 7 or 8 minutes, till finally I saw its upper end waving about for a short time; when, after giving a hard stroke to the water, it disappeared.—In about 3 or 4 minutes, this object rose again; when I called upon various persons below in the vessel, to come up and view it; which they did immediately. At this time a whale appeared spouting near it; and the object which stood up, was after a time recognized as being the tail of some animal, and at length was concluded to be that of the noted Sea Serpent. The tail was now seen to strike the water again several times. Both these great objects then went below the surface of the sea.—In a few minutes, both shewed themselves again, abreast of us; but the sun lying behind both, and there being no glass at hand, our view of them grew imperfect. But soon afterwards, we perceived a form, like that of a head, rising up; the parts below which, seemed connected with the tail which I had originally seen; though the intermediate body was to us invisible. The neck was curved below the head. The head was at first held horizontally; but afterwards assumed an oblique position, as if looking down into the water below. Some additional strokes were now made with the tail. The whale on its side now was in motion again, a[n]d immediately dived below; as did the Serpent.—Some considerable time afterwards both animals appeared again; but at too great a distance for a perfect view of them to be had; but the Serpent made several fresh strokes, and the disturbance given to the water by strokes from the tail continued some time afterwards; though the water was not smooth.
The motions of these animals were rapid; and those of the Serpent vigorous, the noise and the agitation of the water from his stokes being great. His tail, which I have said seemed white, appeared to be flattened cross-wise; its edges also had an indented appearance; while its end was blunt. The head and neck appeared of a dark color; and the body below the neck seemed rapidly to enlarge. I had an opportunity soon after to observe the mast of a vessel, which appeared abundantly smaller. The length of tail exhibited, I thought, was about twenty-five or thirty feet, and the head stood about half this height above the water. The separation between the two seemed so considerable, that it was thought that our vessel might have sailed between them across the body. As the serpent was never nearer than half a mile, we could only judge of this intermediate mass by conjecture; but it must have been very great, since the end of the tail and the head each moved without agitating the parts below them, or each other. Supposing the body to have been long like that of a snake, the total length of the animal may perhaps be estimated at one hundred feet.
Having lived in parts of the United States where the former accounts given of this Serpent have received little credit, I was not at first prepared to expect what I afterwards had the good fortune to see. I state these facts, that those who know me may be assured of them; and also that naturalists may, from the statement given, begin to have some notion of the habits of this animal.
The whale was said to be of the hump-back kind; and an unusual number of whales has of late been said to have been seen in Boston Bay.
The persons on board who became companions with me in this sight, were two sea-captains, besides Capt. West; with various passengers, and the crew of the vessel. Capt. West has separately made oath to a part of the above particulars.
(Signed)
SAMUEL SCHMID.
[Sworn to before John Merrick, Justice of the Peace.]
—
The above affidavit is accompanied by the following remarks from one of the most intelligent and di[s]criminating pens in the District of Maine.
The proportional heights to which the head and the tail of this Sea Serpent are here thought to have been raised, agree nearly with the heights to which the same parts might have been raised by the little serpent; (according to the proportions in the measures given for the latter in the printed Report of the Committee of the New-England Linnaean Society)—Mr. Schmid says, that the head was raised about half the height of the tail; the neck being somewhat curved, and the head kept either level or looking down. But the Report says (p. 39) that the length of tail in the little Serpent was 7 4-10 inches; of which the half is 3 7-10; and (p. 38) it says, that the distance between the back of the head and the first protuberance on the body was 3 6-10 inches; to which adding 5-10 of a[n] inch for the thickness of the head (as answering to the diameter given for the smallest part of the neck,) we have 4 1-10 inches for the total height which this end of the animal might have possessed. But deducting 5-10 of an inch for a curve in the neck, we have 3 6-10 for the elevation of the crown of the head of the Little Serpent, when assuming the same posture with the Serpent seen by Mr. Schmid; and this is about half the length of its tail. Making due allowance for mistaken guesses, in Mr. Schmid, (though he is in some degree confirmed by Capt. S. West,) this brings the parralled [sic] between the two animals as near as could be expected.
Again; the total length of the Little Serpent was 3 feet, less half an inch; the tail forming about one fifth of its length. If we take 25 feet for the tail of the Great Serpent, its total length would have been, according to this proportion, 125 feet. If we put the tail at 20 feet, it would give 100 for the total length. It will be remembered, however, that distant observers can better estimate proportional than absolute measures. Besides; on the supposition of an identity of race between the two animals, the tail may vary in its proportions between two individuals of the race, or it may vary at two ages of the same animal.
We may make two general observations here. First a horizontal body and elevated tail seem to form the war-attitude of the animal, when in the neighborhood of large animals, with which it expects to have to contend; the tail being thus out of reach of mischief to itself and ready to deal mischief to others.
Secondly; the abundance of whales said to be seen of late in Boston Harbor, if true, very well agrees with the report of the removal of great barriers of ice in the northern seas. Both whales and serpents at certain seasons of the year, seem to belong to these icy seas, not only in the northern parts of our hemisphere; but according to a late account, to the icy seas of the Southern Hemisphere. Sea animals in short, may change their station for food and other causes; being often as migratory in their movements, as birds which annually change their residence.
It is to be hoped, that future observers of the Sea Serpent will state in their accounts, (as Mr. Schmid has done,) whether the sea at the time of observation was calm or not. It is believed, that generally speaking, the Sea Serpent does not steadily shew the protuberances in his body or trunk, when in quick motion in a rough sea; though it may do this in slow motions in a sea that is calm.
In addition to the above, Mr. Cooper, one of the most able Professors in the University in Pennsylvania, speaking of Mr. Schmid, whose affidavit is given above, says,
“I have for many years known, and highly respected Mr. Schmid, whose character for probity and veracity I consider as unimpeachable. Nor is it easy to find a man of more attentive and accurate observation, or more knowledge of the practical application of Scince to the Arts. It is to this gentleman, the public are indebted for the discovery of the real method of making and giving flavor to the Schap-zeigar Cheese; (or Sapsago as it is vulgarly called.) About eight years ago he sent at my instance to Switzerland, for some seeds of the Melilotus ceruleus, a Trefoil with a blue flower, whose seeds ground very fine and sifted, are employed in Switzerland in the manufacture of the Cheese in question. Lately, he furnished Mr. J. Vaughan, with a fresh supply of the seeds of this plant; and they have now been so distributed as to ensure their propogation in various parts of this State.
“An account of a scene, of which he was eye witness, given by a gentleman of this description, seems to me entitled to more than the usual credit given to strange occurrences, related by persons whose characters are little known. Conceiving it of some consequence in natural history, that the reports presented to us of the Sea Serpent seen on the coast of the Eastern States, should be verefied [sic] or reported on competent authority, I am induced to write you this letter in support of Mr. Schmid’s authority, as the narrator of the interesting scene. I am yours, &c.
“THOMAS COOPER.”
Meanwhile, The Idiot celebrated the battle between sea serpent and whale in a poem hinting that Nantucket whalers would take the serpent’s side. Eugene Batchelder also lampooned the sighting in A Romance of the Sea-Serpent; or, The Ichthyosaurus, published in 1849 and available at the Internet Archive.
“The Sea Serpent.” The Idiot [Boston, Massachusetts] 11 July 1818 [Saturday]; p. 4.
Know ye, who live from East to West,
That I with sovereign pow’r am blest,
To rule the Seas alone;
Here I assert my name and right,
‘Leviathan,’ of wondrous might;
And make my greatness known.
Fish-hooks and cords I never fear’d,
And iron always has appear’d,
Like ‘straw and rotten wood.’
My heart is like, [sic] an “heart of oak,”
Or ‘nether Millstone’ never broke,
Come what ill luck there would.
I now declare, a mighty war,
’Gainst every Whale, that’s nigh or far,
Who doth my pow’r deride!
I’ll crush their pride, if for my ends,
I hire my good Nantucket friends
To fight upon my side.
LEVIATHAN.
A lot of math, a lot of early spelling (“shew” for “show,” for example), a lot of verbiage, and some poetry—and it’s still not clear exactly what everybody was looking at.
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