The sea serpent vs. the engravers, 1818
In the early 1800s, as now, people craved images of whatever strange event took place. The sighting of a sea serpent off the coast of Massachusetts was no different. In 1817, a huge painted panorama of Gloucester Harbor plus sea serpent made the rounds of some of the large cities on the east coast. In 1818, a wood engraving appeared in the Columbian Centinel, with a certified affidavit from the artist—affidavits being a feature of the sightings in 1818.
The Centinel primed readers a few days before the engraving appeared:
“Sea Monsters” Columbian Centinel [Boston, Massachusetts] 24 June 1818 [Wednesday]; p. 2.
We have received from Capt. Haggens, [sic] at Lubec, his certificate of his having seen three Sea Snakes or Sea Monsters, off Monhegan, as mentioned a few days since, with a drawing he made of one of them. We shall have the drawing engraved, and present both in the next Centinel.
In the next notice on the page, the Centinel also informed readers that new attempts would be made to catch the critter:
We have been informed. Columbian Centinel [Boston, Massachusetts] 24 June 1818 [Wednesday]; p. 2.
We have been informed by a gentleman from Barnstable, C. C. that two vessels have been fitted at that place, and cleared at the Custom-house, to sail immediately in pursuit of the Sea Serpent, with the intention of capturing, if possible, this famed enemy of small fish.
The engraving of the Great Sea Serpent appeared three days later, with some editorial complaints and an affidavit. Unusually, it appeared on the first page of the issue, which usually was reserved for advertisements. Our image is from digitized microfilm, and thus is a little difficult to discern, but—the editor assured readers—it wasn’t that accurate, anyway:
“Great Sea Serpent.” Columbian Centinel [Boston, Massachusetts] 27 June 1818 [Saturday]; p. 1.
“Lubec, June 17, 1818.
TO THE EDITOR.
“Dear Sir—I enclose you the certificate of Capt. Higgins, in his own words, together with a sketch he made of the appearance of one of the Sea Monsters seen by him. Capt. Higgins is known here, and his veracity is questioned by no one. The crew all agree with him in the facts related. There are some heretics here respecting belief in the existence of the Sea Serpent in these seas; but have no doubt of the existence of a species of the whale tribe, who form a connecting link between the whale and the snake fish. The description you will find differs in some points from the Cape-Ann family.
Yours, respectfully,
C.”
NOTES ATTACHED TO CAPT. H’S DRAWING.
A Sea Serpent, 70 feet in length. Carried his head six feet above the water, and had the appearance of turtle shell—The back was black. He spouted about once in ten minutes from his gills, on each side, low in the water. His tail laid flat on the water; and the motion of the back was up and down.
Comparing the engraving with the drawing, we wish our engraver had been more successful. The Head of the animal in the drawing is not so erect, nor are the features, &c. so much defined as in the plate.—The tail too in the draft appears much wider in proportion than the plate; and in the draft there ar six black protuberances, diminishing in size from the head to the tail.
—
CERTIFICATE.
This may certify, that on the 27th day of May, 1818, bound from N. York for Frenchman’s bay, in the sch. Bellona, Monhegan bearing N. by E. twelve miles distant, I fell in with three Sea Monsters. The first one I saw when within three quarters of a mile from me, he was discovered going across our bow, but on discovering the schooner he directed his course for the vessel, and came 6 or 7 knots till he came up against the vessel—the vessel going 6 or 7 knots direct for him;—as he came to the bow of the vessel, he sheared on the larboard bow, and settled two or three feet under water. I ran to the side of the vessel to shoot him, but the man being in haste in loading the gun, did not wad the ball, and it rolled out of the gun. He came up astern immediately, and sheared round after us; then altered his course, and ran about S. E. Before he had got one fourth of a mile from us, I saw another bearing S. W. coming for us with great speed; the wind blowing fresh, we let our top-gallant sail and flying-jib, and hove too. [sic] He came within thirty yards of us and stretched up his head apparently to look at us. I whistled to him; he appeared to stretch up and look at me very earnest. As he did not incline to come any nearer to us, I bore away, and he followed us for a mile. Mean time we discovered another bearing N. one mile distant; on his discovering the vessel, he came direct for us, 6 or 7 knots, till within fifty or sixty yards, then layed across our bow, and we came up within ten yards of him. I discharged a musket loaded with a ball at his head; he went under water, and made the water fly with his tail against the bow of the vessel;—the vessel ran over him; he came up immediately astern, and chased us a little way. The wind blowing quick, and not keeping up with us, he altered his course to the S. E. and left us. I saw three all at once. He came along side of the vessel, and I judged he was eighty feet long. His head was twelve, and his tail it was from twenty to twenty-five feet across the end of it.
June 1818.
RICHARD HIGGINS, Master of sch. Bellona, of Eden.
previous: The sea serpent’s second act | next: The sea serpent vs. the whale
To “Nineteenth-Century American Children & What They Read”
Some of the children | Some of their books | Some of their magazines
Some works for adults, 1800-1872