"Sure they were snakes?"

"Quite sure; and the biggest was not eight feet long."

"Very well, captain; then sea-serpents exist, and it becomes a mere
question of size. Now which produces the larger animals in every
kind,--land or sea? The grown elephant weighs, I believe, about five
tons. The very smallest of the whale tribe weighs ten; and they go as
high as forty tons. There are smaller fish than the whale, that are four
times as heavy as the elephant. Why doubt, then, that the sea can breed
a snake to eclipse the boa-constrictor? Even if the creature had never
been seen, I should, by mere reasoning from analogy, expect the sea to
produce a serpent excelling the boa-constrictor, as the lobster excels
a crayfish of our rivers: see how large things grow at sea! the salmon
born in our rivers weighs in six months a quarter of a pound, or less;
it goes out to sea, and comes back in one year weighing seven pounds.
So far from doubting the large sea-serpents, I believe they exist by the
million. The only thing that puzzles me is, why they should ever show a
nose above water; they must be very numerous, I think."

Captain Hamilton laughed, and said, "Well, this IS new. Doctor, in
compliment to your opinion, we will go on deck, and inspect the reptile
you think so common." He stopped at the door, and said, "Doctor, the
saltcellar is by you. Would you mind bringing it on deck? We shall want
a little to secure the animal."

So they all went on deck right merrily.

The captain went up a few ratlines in the mizzen rigging, and looked to
windward, laughing all the time: but, all of a sudden, there was a great