Page:Aboriginesofvictoria01.djvu/526

442 It appeared to have two small flappers, or wings, which it made good use of, as I should think it went at the rate of thirty miles per hour. We watched it as far as the eye could reach, and it appeared to keep on the face of the water, never appearing to dive. I never remember seeing such an animal before or since. My sons have just returned from the Great Lake, and crossed over the lake twice in the boat, but saw nothing of our strange friend. It was in the middle of the lake where we saw the animal, and in deep water. Should I ever fall in with the beast again, I will not fail in securing him if I can, and you shall then see him in person.

I remain, yours sincerely,

Morton Allport, Esq., Hobart Town.'

"Having arrived thus far, I was much gratified by seeing in the Mercury of the 26th of April 1872 an extract from the Wagga Advertiser, which I copy as follows:—[The substance of this is given in another place.] And I was still more interested by the spontaneous information received a few days back that several townsmen of this city had seen a remarkable beast in Lake Tiberias, while on a shooting expedition. My information is from Mr. Howe, market gardener, of Campbell street, a keen sportsman and a lover of natural history, evidently a good observer, and not likely to mistake a tadpole for a crocodile, who states that, in company with Messrs. Shadwick and Currie, of New Town, and five others, he was at the Lake Tiberias on the 17th July last, and that while on the shore at the north-east end he observed swans, and, creeping to the edge of the lake, fired at them. Immediately on the report of the shot a great splash was seen, and some large beast started off in the water from a point about 100 yards distant, dashing towards some rushes, and forming a great wave by his passage through the water. The rushes swayed about violently as he passed through them, and one of the party, who had the opportunity of seeing the beast more distinctly than the other, estimated the length at five or six feet, and the breadth of back at nearly two feet. About one hour afterwards the party saw what they believed to be the same beast behind the rushes and out in the lake, splashing up the water to a height of ten or twelve feet. This was noticed several times. Enquiries made by Mr. Howe of persons in the neighbourhood elicited no information beyond that loud roarings had been heard at night.

"Mr. John Butler, of Shene, Bagdad, informs me that when on a visit to Lake Echo, in company with the Rev. H. D. Atkinson, some years back, they several times saw water thrown eight or ten feet high in the air, without any obvious cause. This happened right out in the lake, and was considered by them unaccountable. The only other information is from Mr. Morton Allport, to the effect that some aquatic beast, as big as a calf, was reported several times last summer as being in the deep pools of the Jordan River.

"The evidence then shows that in the Great Lake, possibly in Lake Echo, certainly in Lake Tiberias, some unusual animals of large size have been seen at various times, answering in general description to a seal, but not corresponding with any species hitherto described.