Description:

Boston Newspaper Reports on Gloucester Sea Serpent with Stunning Woodcut

An issue of the "Independent Chronicle & Boston Patriot" newspaper featuring a report of the sighting of a mysterious creature. 4pp of a bifolium, measuring 15" x 21.25", Boston, dated August 24, 1819. Volume LI, No. 3999, published by Ballard & Wright. At the top of the paper is the name of the subscriber, "G. Harp." The issue shares news of Cuba, Indian Wars, pirates, and more. But the most fascinating are the reports of a "Sea Serpent" swimming near Nahant. The paper even provides a remarkable woodcut rendering of the creature on the final page of the paper, along with a copy of a letter from an eyewitness. With flattened folds, light creasing, and rough edges. Light, uneven toning, soiling, and foxing throughout. Overall, very good.

Excerpts from reports on the "Sea Serpent":
p.2: "It is said the Sea Serpent continues near Nahant: and that on Wednesday last, a small boat with two persons in it rowed along side of him, and over his back as he settled in the water. They were not prepared to attempt his capture."

p.4: "Copy of a Letter from JAMES PRINCE, Esq. Marshall of this District, to the Hon. Judge Davis…I presume I may have seen what is generally thought to be the SEA SERPENT…I will now state that, which in the presence of more than two hundred other witnesses, took place near the long beach of Nahant on Saturday morning last…I was glad to find I had brought my famous masthead spy glass with me as it would enable me from its form and size to view him to advantage if I might be so fortunate as to see him. On our arrival on the beach, we associated with a considerable collection of persons on foot and in chaises: and very soon an animal of the fish kind made his appearance nearly in this attitude and manner [woodcut of said creature]. His head appeared about three feet out of water; I counted thirteen bunches on his back - my family thought there were fifteen - he passed three times at a moderate rate across the bay, but so fleet as to occasion a foam in the water…judged that he was from fifty and not more than sixty feet in length…he occasionally withdrew himself under water, and the idea occurred to me that his occasionally raising his head above the level of the water, was to take breath, as the time he kept under was on an average about eight minutes…I feel satisfied of the correctness of my decision that he is sixty feed long, unless the ripple of his wake deceived me-nor, my dear sir, do I undertake to say he was of the Snake or Eel kind - though this was the general impression of my family, the spectators and myself - Certain it is he is a very strange animal. I have been accustomed to seeing Whales, Sharks, Grampuses, Porpoises and other large fishes, but he partook of none of the appearances of either of these…"

The creature described above would come to be known as the Gloucester Sea Serpent and was reportedly seen around the coast of Massachusetts and Cape Ann from August 1817 to 1819. Over the years there were numerous recorded sightings, the most famous being when a group aboard the schooner "Caravan" saw and fired a cannon at it. Despite the numerous eyewitness accounts and tales of encounters, the true existence of the Gloucester Sea Serpent continued to remain a subject of debate. The cryptozoology community have suggested that the animal could be a large species of eel, but many others believe the events may be a hoax or the result of misidentification of known marine animals. Recent speculations are that witnesses mistook a pod of narwhals as a single creature, as numerous spectators reported seeing a stinger protruding from the head. This theory would account for the sight of multiple humps, a stinger/spear, and other reported features. Scientists have stated that while narwhals "usually do not stray far below the Arctic Circle”, stragglers or lost pods have been recorded around Newfoundland, Europe, and the eastern Mediterranean. Nevertheless, the mystery of the Gloucester Sea Serpent and what was really seen over the course of a few summers remains unsolved to this day.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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