The public were amused for some time, a few years ago, by the tales of
brother Jonathan respecting the huge sea-serpent. Without at all
disputing the existence of creatures of that nature in the ocean, I
have little doubt that a sight I witnessed in a voyage to the West
Indies, was precisely such as some of the Americans had construed into
a "sea-serpent a mile in length," agreeing, as it did, with one or two
of the accounts given. This was nothing more than a tribe of black
porpoises in one line, extending fully a quarter of a mile, fast
asleep! The appearance certainly was a little singular, not unlike a
raft of puncheons, or a ridge of rocks; but the moment it was seen,
some one exclaimed, (I believe the captain)--"here is a solution of
Jonathan's enigma"--and the resemblance to his "sea-serpent" was at
once striking.

Ice, sometimes, when a-wash with the surface of the sea may be
mistaken for breakers; and that which is called "black ice" has, both
by Capt. Parry and Mr. Weddell, been taken for rocks until a close
approach convinced them of the contrary; and, I dare say, others have
been in like manner deceived, especially near Newfoundland.

A _scole_ of or indeed, a single, devil fish (_Lophius_) when deep in
the water, may appear like a shoal; and I think, that of all the
various appearances of strange things seen at sea, this monstrous
animal is more likely to deceive the judgment into a belief of a
submarine danger being where none actually exists, than any other. I
have watched one of these extraordinary creatures, as it passed slowly
along, occupying a space two-thirds of the length of the ship (a
32-gun frigate;) its shape was nearly circular, of a dark green
colour, spotted with white and light green shades, like the _ray_, and