Within fifty
yards from the vessel a serpent's head, not unlike those we had seen,
but infinitely larger, rose above the surface of the water, and
presently a great water-snake began to swim slowly round our ship in
decreasing circles. Its length could not have been less than 200 feet,
while its girth, in the middle, was almost that of a fair-sized whale,
tapering towards the head and tail. Lashing the sea around it into
foam, the serpent drew closer until it looked as though it would crush
the ship in its folds. Hartog, the only man amongst us who preserved
his presence of mind, ordered our guns to be loaded and fired at the
monster. This was done, but our broadside had no more effect upon the
leviathan than to cause it to swerve from its circling movement, when
it made off with incredible speed towards the horizon, whence it
returned apparently bent upon destroying us.
We now gave ourselves up for lost, when suddenly out of the sea rose
another huge bulk, resembling the sea-spider which had carried off poor
Moira, but ten times larger, when a combat ensued between the
leviathans which created waves around our vessel, and caused her to
rock and plunge as in a storm.
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