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of

An Account of a Triton

Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries 11, (1920-1921), p. 3.

by

R. Jenkins

Prepared by Michael Steer

Google with the Archive Organization has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. The Internet Archive makes available, in its Community Texts Collection (originally known as Open Source Books), books that have been digitised by Google from a number of libraries. These are books on which copyright has expired, and are available free for educational and research use. The copy of this rare book is held in the collection of Albert William Bryant Messenger, and is available from the Internet Archive.

"At Exeter in the year 1737, some Fishermen near the City, drawing the Net ashore, a Creature of two Legs, having Human Shape, leapt out and ran away quickly; not being able to overtake it, they knocked it down by throwing sticks at it. At their coming up to it, it was dying, and groaned like a Human Creature; its feet were webbed like a duck's. It had Eyes, Nose and Mouth, resembling those of a Man, only the Nose somewhat depressed. Tail not unlike a Salmon's, only turning up towards its Back, and was four Feet high. It was publicly shewn at that Time"

This quotation is from a manuscript "Book of Extracts of Diana Bosville", written towards the close of the eighteenth century. The writer was the daughter of Sir William Wentworth of Bretton Park, Yorkshire, and the wife of Godfrey Bosville, of Thorpe Hall and Gunthwaite, same county. She was a friend of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, and was described by Dr Johnson as "a mighty intelligent lady" (A M W Stirling, "A Georgian Scrapbook" in The Nineteenth Century, July 1914.) RHYS JENKINS.