GREAT NEWS FROM THE West-Indies;  
Sent in a Letter to a Merchant of LONDON.  
November the 28th. 1687. This may be Printed R. M.  
LODON: Printed for H. Wallis, 1687.   

GREAT NEWS EROM THE WEST-INDIES.  
SIR,  
THE Charge laid on me in the last Letter, dated the 24th. of August, of Communicating whatever might Occur worth taking Notice off, occasioned this trouble: I now give you a Relation that cannot but be surprising to such as have not yet seen the Wonders of the Deep, though it must be confessed things of this Nature do not altogether so much affect one that has formerly made so long an Abode amongst us as you have done, yet this may serve to revive the memory of those Wonders you have often seen, and furnish you with something New to Entertain your Friends.  
The story I am to tell you, is at the taking Two prodigious Monsters on the Coasts of Mountserrat where I now am, the first of these I assisted at the taking, which was after this manner; About Six in the Morning we discovered something to Wind-ward move like the Wrack of a great Ship, in which Opinion we were the more confirmed through the last Night's being very Stormy and Tempestuous, some of our Fishers endeavoured to get off with their Boats, but could not, the Sea breaking so on the shore; about Eight of the Clock he came so near us as to be perceived to be a living Creature, which put us into the greatest consternation imaginable, there being not one of us that had ever seen any Sea-monster half so large, (though our New Worlds abounds in the Production of various kinds) between Twelve and One of the Clock, the Sea threw him with that violence on the shore, that he was unable to get back again, but by beating the Sand about with his Fins, and making such an hedeous Noise, that our Women and Children fled to the Churches for Protection, and other Places of security, But after that he had wearied himself with his violent beating and throwing the Sand about, we took Courage, and assailed him on every side, and in less than half an Hour became absolute Masters of this mighty Creature, whom I shall thus describe.  
His shape is not much different from that dreadful Sea-monster so well known by the Name of the Sea-monster, his length is about 22 Foot long, and of a Proportionable Bigness, his Back full of Prickles like an Hedgehog, the Skin extreme hard, rugged and uneven, his Head flat, and his Mouth extreme wide, with many sharp Teeth, and two of 'em Crocked like a Wild-Boars, it hath Eight Fins, with a Forked Tail, and above the Eye two long Black Horns, his flesh is very Soft, but not one of us being so hardy as to Taste it, I can give you no Account, that deters us from it; is, because the Flesh of the Sea-monster is absolute Poison, (causing strange Vomitings and Swoonings, and proves Mortal, if not prevented by a good Dose of Mithridate, or some other Antidote,) which this in all things but his Bigness exactly Resembles; so that here we conclude him to be an overgrown Sea-Monster.  
The other Monster I am to describe is a Sea-Vnicorn, that was likewise cast ashore as he pursued his Prey, of whom I am also an Ocular Witness; He is about Eighteen Foot long, and in compass as big as a Barrel, having Eight great Fins like the Ends of Galley-Oars, two of which are placed near the Gills, and the other six at the sides of his Belly at equal distances, they are of a Grenish shining Colour; All the uper part of the Body is covered with great Scales, of a Red and Blue Colour, intermixed with Spangles of Silver, the Scales under the Belly are Yellow, the Tail Forked, the Head somewhat Bigger than that of a Horse, the lower part of his Body covered with a dark hard Skin, he hath a very straight Horn Issuing out of his Head, about Nine Foot and a half in length, Taper to the very Point; Towards the Head it is sixteen Inches about, wretched almost to the point, it is naturally polished of a shining Black, marked with sundry small white and yellow strokes, and of such solidy, that 'tis difficult with a sharp File to get a little small Powder from it, it has no Ears standing up, but two spacious Gills, as the other Fishes, the Eyes are about the bigness of an Hen's Egg, the Ball which is of a Sky Colour Enamelled with yellow, and beneath it another as clear as Crystal; The Mouth is wide enough, with several extreme sharp Teeth; the Tongue proporitionable, covered with a rough Red Skin; The Meat of him is exceeding good when Boiled, and differs not much in Taste from Fresh Cod.  
Before this Sea-monster could be Mastered several of the Assalants received considerable damages, for he used his Horn with that nimbleness and dextenty; and made such desperate Thursts, as sufficiently demonstrated him to be a Creature of great strength and Courage when in his own Element.  
Thus Sir have I Related in the best Method I could, what has so lately happened among us, begging Pardon in being so Tedious in Describing.  
I rest, your much Obliged Servant, F. H. Mountserrat. November, 2d. 1687.  
FINIS.