Mermaid spotted!

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Mermaid spotted!

Postby Shona » Tue Feb 26, 2013 8:55 pm

I love this newspaper report... :D :D :D

The Times, Friday 29 November 1811.

A young man, named John McIsaac, of Corphin, in Kintyre, in Scotland, made oath, on examination, at Campbeltown, before the Sheriff-Substitute of Kintyre, that he saw on the afternoon of the 13th of October, on a black rock on the sea-coast, an animal, of the particulars of which he gives a long and curious detail, answering in general to the description commonly given of the supposed amphibious animal, called a mermaid.

He states that the upper half was white, and the shape of a human body, the other half towards the tail, of a brindled or reddish gray colour, apparently covered with scales, but the extremity of the tail was a greenish red shining colour, that the head was covered with long hair, at times it would put back the hair on both sides of its head, it would also speed its tail like a fan, and while so extended, the tail continued in a tremulous motion, and when drawn together again it remained motionless, and appeared to the deponent to be about twelve to fourteen inches wide, that the hair was long and light brown, that the animal was between fur and five feet long, that it had a head, hair, arms and body down to the middle like a human being, at the arms were short in proportion to the body, which appeared to be the thickness of a young lad, and tapering gradually to the point of the tail, that when stroking its head, the fingers were kept close together, so that he cannot say whether they are webbed or not, that he saw it for near two hours, the rock on which is lay being dry, that after the sea had so far retired, as to leave the rock dry to the height of five feet above the water.

He was informed that some boys in a neighbouring farm saw a similar creature in the sea, close to the shore the same day.

The Minister of Campbeltown and the Chamberlain of Mull, attest his examination and declare they know no reason why his veracity should be questioned.
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Re: Mermaid spotted!

Postby petewick » Tue Feb 26, 2013 10:08 pm

If you read Angus Martins book, Kintyre Country Life, on the same day a young girl from Auchenhoan
farm also saw the mermaid. Very interesting.
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Re: Mermaid spotted!

Postby Shona » Wed Feb 27, 2013 12:19 pm

petewick wrote:If you read Angus Martins book, Kintyre Country Life, on the same day a young girl from Auchenhoan
farm also saw the mermaid. Very interesting.


Yes - I've read Angus's book.

There is a very full account of the incident in another book. Here's the link:

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=5PAI ... 11&f=false

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Re: Mermaid spotted!

Postby petewick » Wed Feb 27, 2013 7:16 pm

Aye, it's a great story............
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Re: Mermaid spotted!

Postby EMDEE » Wed Feb 27, 2013 10:07 pm

Were there any of the famed illicit stills round about that area in these days? :roll:
Merda taurorum animas conturbit. Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur
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Re: Mermaid spotted!

Postby bill » Wed Feb 27, 2013 11:17 pm

C'mon EMDEE,next thing you will be doubting there ever was a piper n' his dog up Bengullion cave. :roll:
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Re: Mermaid spotted!

Postby Mary G » Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:13 am

Sorry to disappoint, Bill... but there wasn't ever a piper - nor a dog - in a Bengullion cave ....





It was the cave at Keil ;)
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Re: Mermaid spotted!

Postby Bitter End » Thu Feb 28, 2013 10:58 am

Noo noo Mary G ----
The cave at Keil -- wis thet no wher the dug cam oot an the pipes could be heard ? I aye heard thet the piper went in wi the dug on Bengullion.
Twice through the eye o' the sun to lift it.
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Re: Mermaid spotted!

Postby Mary G » Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:09 pm

Jings, they both went in at Keil, and the dog came out near Killellan.

And the pipes can still be heard at various points in between ...!


I think this Bengullion confusion must have been a different piper :roll:
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Re: Mermaid spotted!

Postby petewick » Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:10 pm

The pipes were supposed to have been hear playing below the steading at Crossleggie, 5 miles from
the cave..........
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Re: Mermaid spotted!

Postby Mary G » Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:12 pm

Spot on Petewick - Crossleggie was the spot!
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Re: Mermaid spotted!

Postby petewick » Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:14 pm

Aye, my Mother who passed away recently and my late Auntie Alison were born
in Crossleggie.............
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Re: Mermaid spotted!

Postby Mary G » Thu Feb 28, 2013 1:48 pm

Didn't know that, Petewick.

Sorry to hear about your mother ... condolences.
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Re: Mermaid spotted!

Postby LANDROVER ROGER » Thu Feb 28, 2013 2:36 pm

Was Crossleggie the place where they closed the public toilets?
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Re: Mermaid spotted!

Postby Shona » Thu Feb 28, 2013 6:03 pm

LANDROVER ROGER wrote:Was Crossleggie the place where they closed the public toilets?


:lol: :lol: :lol:
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