Uncle Dick and Lisa's Old Time Animal Tales

From The Boston Sentinel.
A party of 80 or 100 ladies and gentlemen embarked yesterday morning on the steamer Connecticut, for the purpose of taking an excursion in the lower harbor, with the expectation of getting a view of his Serpentine Majesty. About 12 o’clock, when the steamboat was half way between Nahant and the Graves, the monster was seen approaching. A number of gentlemen took the small boat and made directly for it, but unfortunately did not run upon the animal as was intended, owing to a little mismanagement in rowing. The serpent came within an oar’s length of the boat, and without appearing at all alarmed or uneasy, took a slight curve towards the steamboat, passed under her stern within fifty or sixty feet, and then disappeared. We understand it was the opinion of those in the small boat that he might easily have been struck but unfortunately there was no harpoon on board. At this time his motion was not undulating, as has sometimes been stated, but rather like an eel or common water snake. It has been reported that there has been three or more of these strange creatures seen lately, one of which is supposed to be 150 feet in length. We would recommend some of our sporting friends, who are skilled in the management of a whale boat, and the use of the harpoon, to make an attempt upon the liberty of the marine monster, and there is but little doubt he might be taken.
The foregoing account is furnished by a gentleman who was one of the passengers and had a good opportunity to see the serpent from the small boat, and whose certificate bearings is also corroborated by several other gentlemen with whom we have conversed who were on board the steamer.
The excursion of yesterday has afforded a much better opportunity of seeing this strange animal than has occurred for years, and it is not inconsistent with the whole tenor of the statements that have been made at different times by great numbers of persons for the last fifteen years, since a monster of this description was first announced in our waters. It is admitted on all hands, that the appearance of a marine animal of this description would be a most extraordinary, occurrence.
But it may be said as an offset, that it would be still more extraordinary, if so many witnesses should be so grossly deceived, as would be the case if no such animal had appeared. One or the other of these extraordinary difficulties is presented for the belief of the public, and we are of the opinion that it would not require so great a stretch of credulity to believe in the existence of such an enormous Sea Serpent, as to believe that so many persons could be so greatly deceived. We learn that a gentleman fired at him with a musket from the steamer, but without effect.
The shot was given before he had approached so near the steamer, as he did a few minutes afterwards. The first thing that attracted the attention of those who were in the streamer, was a peculiar appearance in the water at a distance, supposed to be occasioned by a shoal of small fish that he was apparently pursuing. Three distinct appearances of this kind were observed at the same time afar off, and the steamer made for one of them in pursuit of which the serpent appeared to be. It is therefore inferred by some one of the passengers that there are three of the strange animals, as has been before stated.