Merman at Portrush, Antrim (1874)

A MERMAN OR A HOAX.

According to a correspondent of the Coleraine Chronicle, the inhabitants of Portrush have been thrown into a state of alarm during the past few weeks by the report than a curious and previous unheard of species of sea monster had been observed in the neighbourhood of the "Blue Pool." It seems that Dr. Shaggleton, a scientific and highly gifted naturalist, and a writer of some repute, was taking a pull in a boat, accompanied by two ladies, when his attention was drawn to this singular and extraordinary creature. Dr. Snaggleton thus describes him: "In form and colour he has much the appearance of an ordinary man; the skin was perfectly white, with the exception of the lower part of the body which appeared to be striped, and of a blue and white colour; there was a great quantity of black hair underneath the chin, and the nose appeared to be prominent and well developed. When I observed him he was standing composedly on the top of a small cliff, with the arms pressed close down to the sides; and suddenly, to my astonishment, he took a sort of side leap into the sea, within 20 feet of our boat. Fearing for the safety of the occupants of our small craft, I quickly pulled out into the open sea, and saw nothing more of him." Dr. Snaggleton believes the creature to belong to a species termed "Submergis Japanarius, or Japanese sea diver," a very common animal on the northern shores of Japan, and is borne out in this opinion by Professor Dobbs, F.R.S., who says that "these extraordinary creatures have been frequently mistaken for human beings, and are usually seen in small shoals near Yokohama; and, from the fact that a few of them have lately been seen proceeding in the direction of the Skerries, we are inclined to believe that there interesting specimens belong to the tribe mentioned by the learned professor; but how or by what means they have wandered to our shores is a problem we are not able to delve. We [???] Dr. Snaggleton intends if possible to procure a [?] and place it in the Belfast Museum.

From the Western Mail, September 12th, 1874.

Comes complete with a Doctor's recommendation and a latin name, no less. But I feel very confused.

The Blue Pool, Portrush (by Anne Burgess)