Great nevvs from the West-Indies sent in a letter to a merchant of London, November the 28th, 1687.

Great nevvs from the West-Indies sent in a letter to a merchant of London, November the 28th, 1687.

Table of contents

Title page

GREAT NEWS EROM THE WEST-INDIES.

GREAT NEWS EROM THE WEST-INDIES.

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SIR,

THE Charge laid on me in the last Letter, dated the 24th. of August, of Communicating whatever might Occur worth taking Notice off, occasioned this trouble: I now give you a Relation that connot but be surprising to such as have not yet seen the Wonders of the Deep, tho it must be confest things of this Nature do not altogether so much affect one that has formerly made so long an Aboad amongst us as you have done, yet this may serve to revive the memory of those Wonders you have often seen, and furnish you with something New to Entertain your Friends.

[Page] The story I am to tell you, is at the taking Two prodigious Monsters on the Coasts of Mountserrat where I now am, the first of these I assisted at the taking, which was after this manner; About Six in the Morning we discovered something to Wind-ward move like the Wrack of a great Ship, in which Opinion we were the more confirm'd through the last Nights being very Stormy and Tempestuous, some of our Fishers endeavour'd to get off with their Boats, but could not, the Sea breaking so on the shore; about Eight of the Clock he came so near us as to be perceiv'd to be a living Creature, which put us into the greatest consternation imaginable, there being not one of us that had ever seen any Sea-monster half so large, (though our New Worlds abounds in the Production of various kinds) between Twelve and One of the Clock, the Sea threw him with that violence on the shore, that he was unable to get back again, but by beating the Sand about with his Fins, and making such an hedeous Noise, that our Women and Children fled to the Churches for Protection, [Page] and other Places of security, But after that he had wearied himself with his violent beating and throwing the Sand about, we took Courage, and assail'd him on every side, and in less than half an Hour became absolute Masters of this mighty Creature, whom I shall thus describe.

His shape is not much different from that dreadful Sea-monster so well known by the Name of the Sea-monster, his length is about 22 Foot long, and of a Proportionable Bigness, his Back full of Prickles like an Hedge-Hog, the Skin extream hard, rugged and uneven, his Head flat, and his Mouth extream wide, with many sharp Teeth, and two of 'em Crocked like a Wild-Boars, it hath Eight Fins, with a Forked Tail, and above the Eye two long Black Horns, his flesh is very Soft, but not one of us being so hardy as to Tast it, I can give you no Account, that deters us from it; is, because the Flesh of the Sea-monster is absolute Poyson, (causing strange Vomitings and Swoonings, and proves Mortal, if not prevented by a good Dose of Mithridate, or some other Antidote,) which [Page] this in all things but his Bigness exactly Resembles; so that here we conclude him to be an over-grown Sea-Monster.

The other Monster I am to describe is a Sea-Vnicorn, that was likewise cast ashore as he pursued his Prey, of whom I am also an Occular Witness; He is about Eighteen Foot long, and in compass as big as a Barrel, having Eight great Fins like the Ends of Galley-Oars, two of which are placed near the Gills, and the other six at the sides of his Belly at equal distances, they are of a Grenish shining Colour; All the uper part of the Body is cover'd with great Scales, of a Red and Blew Colour, intermixt with Spangles of Silver, the Scales under the Belly are Yellow, the Tail Forked, the Head somewhat Bigger than that of a Horse, the lower part of his Body cover'd with a dark hard Skin, he hath a very streight Horn Issuing out of his Head, about Nine Foot and a half in length, Taper to the very Point; Towards the Head it is sixteen Inches about, wreatched almost to the point, it is naturally pollished of [Page] a shining Black, marked with sundry small white and yellow strokes, and of such solidy, that 'tis difficult with a sharp File to get a little small Powder from it, it has no Ears standing up, but two spacious Gills, as the other Fishes, the Eyes are about the bigness of an Hens Egg, the Ball which is of a Skie Colour Enamel'd with yellow, and beneath it another as clear as Chrystal; The Mouth is wide enough, with several extream sharp Teeth; the Tongue proporitionable, cover'd with a rough Red Skin; The Meat of him is exceeding good when Boyled, and differs not much in Tast from Fresh Cod.

Before this Sea-monster could be Master'd several of the Assalants received considerable damages, for he used his Horn with that nimbleness and dextenty; and made such desperate Thursts, as sufficiently demonstrated him to be a Creature of great strength and Courage when in his own Element.

Thus Sir have I Related in the best [Page] Method I could, what has so lately happen'd among us, begging Pardon in being so Tedious in Describing.

I rest, your much Obliged Servant, F. H.

Mountserrat. November, 2d. 1687.

FINIS.

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§

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GREAT NEVVS FROM THE West-Indies;

Sent in a Letter to a Merchant of LONDON.

November the 28th. 1687. This may be Printed R. M.

LODON: Printed for H. Wallis, 1687.

Information about this book

Title statement

Great nevvs from the West-Indies sent in a letter to a merchant of London, November the 28th, 1687.

F. H.

Edition statement

1687

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2004-05 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A70254

ID [STC]

Wing H25A

ID [STC]

ESTC R2765

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

09542598

ID [OCLC]

ocm 09542598

ID [VID]

43555

Availability

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Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A70254)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 43555)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 186:14, 1332:27)

Source

— Great nevvs from the West-Indies sent in a letter to a merchant of London, November the 28th, 1687., F. H..

Extent

[1], 6 p.

Printed by H. Wallis,. Lodon [sic] :: 1687.. (Signed: F.H.) ("This may be printed; R.M.") (Reproduction of original in the Huntington Library.)

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