BILK

Magazine Overview

BILK Number Six, dated January 1986, is a bi-monthly publication edited by Ulrich Magin. It appears to be a newsletter or fanzine focused on unexplained phenomena, cryptozoology, and Fortean reports. The issue costs £3 for Europe and $5 for the USA, with a subscription price of the same amounts.

Behemoth: Water Monsters and Cryptids

Loch Ness

The issue provides several updates on the Loch Ness Monster. A report from 'Maggie's Farm' mentions an Australian tourist, Larry Fay, finding a bone at the loch shore, which the Australian Museum identified as a fossilized plesiosaur leg. Another report from 'Champ Channels' (3/1985) details a sighting by Murdo Urquhart on September 15, who described the creature as looking like a 'fireman's helmet'. A sighting from September 1984 by Lady Innes of Balvenie, who photographed the monster, is also mentioned. However, analyst Rip Hepple suggests she may have only captured the wake of the tourist boat 'Scott II'. In a piece of news related to Nessie's environment, the old aluminium factory at Foyers is being converted into a salmon breeding firm, which could provide more food for the creature.

Lawas River, Malaysia

In February 1985, several boatmen in the Lawas River, Malaysia, reported seeing an aquatic monster with a black, cow-like head, a neck as large as an oil drum, large glowing eyes, and two short front legs. Local folklore attributes a name to this creature, 'tumbuh akar' or 'galap', and claims it can transform into 44 forms, including lobster, bird, or snake. The area is known for drownings where the animal is frequently seen. The article notes that many water monsters in Southern Asia remain uncollected and unclassified.

Congo

The Scotsman (25.X.1985) reported on a new expedition for an 'African dinosaur' in the Congo, led by Bill Gibbons. The expedition planned to set up observation points around Lake Tele and collaborate with Dr. Agnagna, known for his work on dinosaurs. While acknowledging the expedition's potential, the author suggests that too much focus is placed on Lake Tele, as dinosaur sightings are reported across Africa.

Lake Champlain

'Champ Channels' (3/1985) provided an update on 'Chessie' sightings at Lake Champlain, with a total of 14 reported for 1985. Several photos and a video tape were taken, but all were deemed inconclusive. The author suspects that some of these sightings might actually be wakes.

New Ireland, Papua New Guinea

An expedition in February 1985 managed to take underwater photographs of a creature described as the 'New Guinea mermaid'. However, these were identified as a dugong. The author acknowledges the slight possibility of mermaids coexisting but expresses doubt.

Leviathan

Falmouth, Cornwall

An article in the Falmouth Packet (27.IX.1985) mentioned several sightings of 'Morgawr' (a sea monster) during the summer. Despite attempts to obtain details, they were unsuccessful, with hope placed on a future issue of 'Fortean Times' for a summary.

Kraken

Mediterranean Sea

Jean-Jacques Barloy's book 'Enquente sur le serpent de mer et les animaux mysterieux' (Nr. 34, December 1985) mentions a strange find near Nice around 1970: a 20-meter tentacle. The author questions the possibility of giant squids or octopuses in the Mediterranean reaching such lengths, considering it a potentially significant find.

Marine Forteana

New England Witch Trials

John Putnam Demos' book 'Entertaining Satan' (Oxford University Press, 1983) is cited for reports from the late 17th-century New England witch trials. During this period, 'spectral ships' with three masts were seen, accompanied by smoke and vanishing acts. Additionally, 'strange nocturnal lights' and 'sudden, inexplicable noises' were reported in the air, phenomena that Charles Fort himself would have found intriguing and which bear resemblance to later UFO activity.

Other Alien Animals

British Pumas

The Scotsman (17.X.1985) reported on an unusual 3ft cat shot at Dallas/Moray, possibly a long-sought-after puma. It was sent to the British Museum for identification, but no further news was available. The same newspaper (22.X.1985) reported on extraordinary animal mutilations.

Beast of Exmoor

'The Observer' (1.XII.1985) noted that the 'Beast of Exmoor', responsible for killing hundreds of sheep and deer over two years, was active again and possibly had a family. Sightings of two black cat-like animals were reported by a park officer, though large-scale sheep killings had not recently occurred.

End Notes and Subscriptions

This issue marks the end of another BILK, with the next expected in March 1986. The editor's address is provided for correspondence: Ulrich Magin/ Stuhlbruderhofstraße 4/ 6704 Mutterstadt/ WEST GERMANY. The editor also offers for sale a list of approximately 2000 marine monster sightings (including mermaids, sea serpents, and giant cephalopods) and a list of about 1000 Nessie sightings, each costing €3 or $5, or both for €5 or $8. The editor will be living and studying in Dublin from October 1986 to March 1987 and will provide updates on how BILK will continue. He invites anyone in Ireland to visit him during that period.

A postscript asks if the recipient would send a copy of 'Bigfoot Casebook', a book the sender does not own, in exchange for the remaining payment for the lists. The sender also inquires about any information regarding the Scottish puma.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are cryptozoology, particularly water monsters (Loch Ness, Lawas River, Lake Champlain, Morgawr), and reports of unidentified animals ('African dinosaur', British puma, Beast of Exmoor). There's also a section on 'Marine Forteana' linking historical accounts of strange phenomena to modern UFO activity. The editorial stance appears to be one of documenting and reporting on unexplained phenomena from various sources, often citing newspaper articles and other publications, while maintaining a degree of skepticism, as seen in the analysis of the Loch Ness sightings and the New Guinea mermaid.