Introduction

A sea serpent of extraordinary dimensions was seen from Her Majesty's ship, Daedalus. It passed so close under our Lee quarter that had it been a man of my acquaintance, I should have easily recognized the features with the naked eye. The diameter of the serpent was about 15 or 16 inches behind the head, which was without any doubt that of a snake. And it was never during the 20 minutes that it continued in sight of our glasses once below the surface of the water. Its color a dark brown, with yellowish white about the throat. It had no fins, but something like the mane of a horse, or rather a bunch of seaweed washed about its back.