The man who supplied the following sensational story to the Sydney "Sun" 28/8/1924 must have been suffering from "the morning after the night before" complaint. We would seriously advise him to "put more water in it ." Here's the marvellous story:-
Quite a simmer of excitement has been caused along the Upper Hawkesbury River. Last week there were wild rumours of a "Titanic Sea Horse" having been seen in a deep water hole in the river underneath the cliff known as The Terrace. The strange denizen was discussed in conversation, and by Thursday it was thought to be a brontosaur or dinosaur, while a few braver souls ventured so far afield as an ichthyosaurus!
Over the week-end the river was the mecca of several small boys and several score of motor cars loaded with investigators. So far, however, the denizen of the deep has been "lying low", and no eyes, other than those of its original discoverers, have yet beheld it.
The only authentic narrative of the "beastie" comes from Mr. W.J. Riley, who with his brother Mr. R. Riley, works on an orchard along The Terrace.
"While walking along The Terrace at midday, we were attracted by something in the water beneath, in a deep hole - I should say about 20 feet deep," said Mr. Riley. "We looked down and saw a big ugly thing, 2ft.6in. to 3ft. in depth, with a length of from 5ft. to 6ft., and a yellowish or sandy colour. As to whether its skin was scale-covered or not we could not see, the top of The Terrace being probably 200 yards from the water. It was moving around continuously, and, though we watched for over 15 minutes, we could not get a good look at its head. It had a square-looking "fish-tail".
Mr. Riley was of the opinion that escape from the confined hole was impossible.
"Anyhow, it is not a pleasant looking animal", he concluded, "and I certainly should not care to be in the water and have it after me."
(Windsor and Richmond Gazette- 5th September, 1924)
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