In Chapter Four of the Penguin Book of Mermaids, Captain Samuel Barret Eades had stumbled upon a once-in-a-lifetime prize in the discovery of what seemed to be a true aqua-human hybrid creature. In 1822 he was presented the opportunity to purchase a dried up mermaid specimen for $6,000 from a group of dutch traders. The creature purchased was one of both wonder and dreadful ugliness. He obtained a Japanese mermaid, the stark opposite of the famous Christian mermaids known for their regal beauty and elegance. From the outside, the exchange may have been viewed as sketchy by others. Consequently, scientists continuously questioned the legitimacy of the specimen, but that didn’t stop Eades from insisting on bringing it to London. Risking his fame and fortune as a wealthy English Captain, he took the mermaid with him to London to show the world. Even though the mermaid was a short, shriveled, and wretched being, people still flocked to see the exhibit that was the body encased in a glass dish. But unfortunately, the success of the unveiling ended up also being the downfall of the exhibit and reputation of Eades himself.

Eades’ success led to false confidence in his little mermaid. The numerous articles and newspaper publications written about his special piece filled his head with infinite belief and pride in his purchase. Upon the success, he felt so confident in his specimen’s legitimacy that he ended up giving it to a respected scientist for authentication. William Clift was the authenticator who found the specimen to be nothing but stuffing and wooden parts. Luckily for Eades, his inevitable downfall was slightly delayed as he was able to pay Clift off to not disclose his findings to the public. But the scientists in London, being a tight-knit group, ended up backfiring on Eades as he had one too many naturalists falsely authenticate his mermaid. Eades would go on to get caught and then end his journey with his Japanese mermaid as the public found out and the luster ran out in 1825.

While examining the events in which Captain Eades was a part, a similarity can be drawn to the story of Raymondin and Melusine. Shortly, Eades and Raymondin likely would’ve been better off just living their lives as is and not authenticating their mermaid or walking into the sacred place of their SO. This theme of seeking excess knowledge causing ultimate downfalls seems to be present in many stories, especially when it comes to comparing the human and mermaid worlds and how they interact with each other. I feel sometimes it is just better to let things be and remain content with not being able to understand/know about everything around you, because it may just break you down even more.