Deerness Mermaid

Sir, - Referring to your article in to-day's Scotsman [?] above, I may say I was resident in Orkney for several years, and had the pleasure of seeing this wonderful mermaid. The enclosed description of the creature (Which is a copy of a letter I sent to a local paper at the time) may be of interest to some of your readers.
This mermaid has taken up its quarters in the same spot year after year. Some two or three years ago a farmer in the neighbourhood shot it, but although it was apparently hit and rushed seawards at a great rate, it soon returned. A large sum of money (I forget the amount) for it, if captured alive, was offered by a Glasgow naturalist.
A Kirkwall gentleman, of a scientific turn of mind, informed me that the mermaid was a bladder-nosed seal, whatever that may be. - I am, &c. Jas. Stewart.

The following is the description referred to:-
The general colour is black, except the under parts of the neck and body, which parts appeared to me to be of a greyish-white colour. The sides of the neck are also white and covered with dark spots. The head is large and tapering towards the mouth, resembling in shape that of a polar bear. (This does away with the prevalent idea that the animal is an ordinary seal.) The neck is of great thickness, and I should say the length of the creature is not less than seven feet, and very probably it may measure more. When on the surface of the water, it occasionally turned on its back, keeping itself afloat by moving its arm like flippers much in the same manner as a man swimming on his back. This gives it the appearance of having a very long neck and a small head, and it has frequently been described as having such. As a rule it showed itself for about a minute, and then slowly sank from sight to reappear in the course of a quarter of an hour or so. On one occasion it dived under water head-first in the manner locally known as a "scarf's dive," the back and lower flippers being in turn exposed to view. For the benefit of those who may wish to see this "marine monster" in its native element. I may state that the most favourable time to get a glimpse is on a clear warm day and at high water, with the wind (if any) from the north.

The Scotsman, 29th June 1895.