MUIRHEAD'S MYSTERIES: A giant basking shark and three white hares

Richard Muirhead is an old friend of the CFZ. I have been friends with him for 40 years now, since we were kids together in Hong Kong. He is undoubtedly one of the two best researchers I have ever met; he and Nigel Wright both have what Charlie Fort would have no doubt called a wild talent; a talent for going into a library, unearthing a stack of old newspapers, and coming back with some hitherto overlooked gem of arcane knowledge. Twice a week he wanders into the Macclesfield Public Library and comes out with enough material for a blog post..

I`ve been ill in bed most of the day with an appalling cough and cold but fortunately I have a small back log of animal stories from the pages of the Macclesfield Courier from late 1812 to mid 1813: Selling a basking shark for £600 seems alot even by early 19th century standards:

"Another fish of the basking shark species,measuring in length 32ft, girth 19ft,caught off Brighton on Friday se`nnight* (sic), in the herring nets of an industrious fishermen,named Collins-sold next day by Dutch auction,for £600 to some person who mean to exhibit it in London." Macclesfield Courier December 12th 1812. p.3.

This would make it one of the largest ever basking sharks? And if it was not a basking shark, what was it?

"A few days ago three white hares were found in a field of Mr Maws(?)of Hacknew(?) near Scarbro`about one month old."

Macc.Courier June 25th 1813.

* Se'nnight = seven nights (one week), an archaic usage, though fortnight (14 nights, or two weeks) is still widely used

MUIRHEAD`S MYSTERIES: A WHITE HARE IN DEVON AND THE REMAINS OF A HUGE BIRD OFF SIBERIA

I have today come across two new stories from the Macclesfield Courier
and Stockport Express or Cheshire General Advertiser.(MC & SE or CGA)
The first story is about a white hare from Devon,the second is far more
controversial, an account of the remains of a huge bird found on an
island in Arctic waters off the north coast of Siberia. Both stories
are from 1811. A Google search for the name "Hedemstrotni" found
nothing,but "New Siberia" does exist and it was discovered c.1806. Huge
birds have been reported from North America but I was unaware of any
from Siberia. Make of this what you will....

" A white hare was killed last week at Puddington, Devon by the Rev Mr
Hole`s harriers. A similar instance occured about 50 years ago in the
same parish." MC & SE or CGA October 26th 1811

"Hedemstrotni; the Russian naturalist,who recently examined the newly
discovered Island called New Siberia in the Icy Ocean found on it three
birds claws a yard in length; and the roving Jakute (?) related that
they had sometimes found feathers,the barrels of which were capable of
of admitting a man`s clenched fist. MC & SE or CGA. November 9th 1811.

Could "Jakute" now mean Yackut,i.e. of the Russian region now known by
that title?