MONSTERS: The Crew of the Schooner Madagasca Saw a Great Snake

The Schooner Madagasca arrived at Lubec last week with a cargo of coal. The crew in a casual way mentioned a strange animal seen off the coast of Cutler, Me. When questioned they related in a straightforward manner the incident.

Two of the crew who saw the animal vouchsafe the truth of the following: During the morning watch, at about 6 0'clock, July 28th, while standing along under easy sail, making about four miles an hour, an object was seen on the starboard bow, which at first was thought by the man on lookout to be a large log. As the vessel drew nearer, the sailor, Edward Ray, formerly of Ellsworth, called the mate’s attention to the object, saying he thought he saw the thing move. The mate, Len Armstrong, formerly a resident of and well known in Lubec, glanced in the direction pointed out and saw what he supposed to be a log floating upon the surface.

As the course they were steering would bring them close alongside the floating mass the men gave little heed to it, but when within a few fathoms and near enough for a biscuit to have been tossed upon it, great was the astonishment of the two sailors to see the supposed log raise a snake-like head, give them one glance from a pair of glassy-eyes and glide with a sinuous, serpent-like movement away from the vessel. So close had they approached the reptiIe that every detail could be minutely noted.