Inthefirstplace,itmaybedeemedalmostsuperfluoustoestablishthefact,thatamongpeopleatlarge,thebusinessofwhalingisnotaccountedonalevelwithwhatarecalledtheliberalprofessions.
Ifastrangerwereintroducedintoanymiscellaneousmetropolitansociety,itwouldbutslightlyadvancethegeneralopinionofhismerits,werehepresentedtothecompanyasaharpooneer,say;andifinemulationofthenavalofficersheshouldappendtheinitialsS.W.F.(SpermWhaleFishery)tohisvistingcard,suchaprocedurewouldbedeemedpreeminentlypresumingandridiculous.
Doubtlessoneleadingreasonwhytheworlddeclineshonoringuswhalemen,isthis:theythinkthat,atbest,ourvocationamountstoabutcheringsortofbusiness;andthatwhenactivelyengagedtherein,wearesurroundedbyallmannerofdefilements.Butchersweare,thatistrue.
Butbutchers,also,andbutchersofthebloodiestbadgehavebeenallMartialCommanderswhomtheworldinvariablydelightstohonor.
Andasforthematteroftheallegeduncleanlinessofourbusiness,yeshallsoonbeinitiatedintocertainfactshithertoprettygenerallyunknown,andwhich,uponthewhole,willtriumphantlyplantthespermwhale-shipatleastamongthecleanliestthingsofthistidyearth.
Butevengrantingthechargeinquestiontobetrue;whatdisorderedslipperydecksofawhale-shiparecomparabletotheunspeakablecarrionofthosebattle-fieldsfromwhichsomanysoldiersreturntodrinkinallladies’plaudits?
Andiftheideaofperilsomuchenhancesthepopularconceitofthesoldier’sprofession;letmeassureyethatmanyaveteranwhohasfreelymarcheduptoabattery,wouldquicklyrecoilattheapparitionofthespermwhale’svasttail,fanningintoeddiestheairoverhishead.
But,thoughtheworldscoutsatuswhalehunters,yetdoesitunwittinglypayustheprofoundesthomage;yea,anall-aboundingadoration!
WhydidLouisXVIofFrance,athisownpersonalexpense,fitoutwhalingshipsfromDunkirk,andpolitelyinvitetothattownsomescoreortwooffamiliesfromourownislandofNantucket?
Andlastly,howcomesitthatwewhalemenofAmericanowoutnumberalltherestofthebandedwhalemenintheworld;sailanavyofupwardsofsevenhundredvessels;mannedbyeighteenthousandmen;yearlyconsuming4,000,000ofdollars;theshipsworth,atthetimeofsailing,$20,000,000!
Ifreelyassert,thatthecosmopolitephilosophercannot,forhislife,pointoutonesinglepeacefulinfluence,whichwithinthelastsixtyyearshasoperatedmorepotentiallyuponthewholebroadworld,takeninoneaggregate,thanthehighandmightybusinessofwhaling.
Onewayandanother,ithasbegotteneventssoremarkableinthemselves,andsocontinuouslymomentousintheirsequentialissues,thatwhalingmaywellberegardedasthatEgyptianmother,whoboreoffspringthemselvespregnantfromherwomb.
Formanyyearspastthewhale-shiphasbeenthepioneerinferretingouttheremotestandleastknownpartsoftheearth.
IfAmericanandEuropeanmen-of-warnowpeacefullyrideinoncesavageharbors,letthemfiresalutestothehonorandgloryofthewhale-ship,whichoriginallyshowedthemtheway,andfirstinterpretedbetweenthemandthesavages.
TheymaycelebrateastheywilltheheroesofExploringExpeditions,yourCookes,yourKrusensterns;butIsaythatscoresofanonymousCaptainshavesailedoutofNantucket,thatwereasgreat,andgreater,thanyourCookeandyourKrusenstern.
Forintheirsuccorlessempty-handedness,they,intheheathenishsharkedwaters,andbythebeachesofunrecorded,javelinislands,battledwithvirginwondersandterrorsthatCookewithallhismarinesandmusketswouldnothavewillinglydared.
AllthatismadesuchaflourishofintheoldSouthSeaVoyages,thosethingswerebutthelife-timecommonplacesofourheroicNantucketers.
Often,adventureswhichVancouverdedicatesthreechaptersto,thesemenaccountedunworthyofbeingsetdownintheship’scommonlog.Ah,theworld!Oh,theworld!
UntilthewhalefisheryroundedCapeHorn,nocommercebutcolonial,scarcelyanyintercoursebutcolonial,wascarriedonbetweenEuropeandthelonglineoftheopulentSpanishprovincesonthePacificcoast.
ItwasthewhalemenwhofirstbrokethroughthejealouspolicyoftheSpanishcrown,touchingthosecolonies;and,ifspacepermitted,itmightbedistinctlyshownhowfromthosewhalemenatlasteventuatedtheliberationofPeru,Chili,andBoliviafromtheyokeofOldSpain,andtheestablishmentoftheeternaldemocracyinthoseparts.
Afteritsfirstblunder-borndiscoverybyaDutchman,allotherships,longshunnedthoseshoresaspestiferouslybarbarous;butthewhale-shiptouchedthere.
Moreover,intheinfancyofthefirstAustraliansettlement,theemigrantswereseveraltimessavedfromstarvationbythebenevolentbiscuitofthewhale-shipluckilydroppingananchorintheirwaters.
TheuncountedislesofallPolynesiaconfessthesametruth,anddocommercialhomagetothewhale-ship,thatclearedthewayforthemissionaryandthemerchant,andinmanycasescarriedtheprimitivemissionariestotheirfirstdestinations.
Ifthatdouble-boltedland,Japan,isevertobecomehospitable,itisthewhale-shipalonetowhomthecreditwillbedue;foralreadysheisonthethreshold.
Butif,inthefaceofallthis,youstilldeclarethatwhalinghasnoaestheticallynobleassociationsconnectedwithit,thenamIreadytoshiverfiftylanceswithyouthere,andunhorseyouwithasplithelmeteverytime.
Who,butnolessaprincethanAlfredtheGreat,who,withhisownroyalpen,tookdownthewordsfromOther,theNorwegianwhale-hunterofthosetimes!
ThegrandmotherofBenjaminFranklinwasMaryMorrel;afterwards,bymarriage,MaryFolger,oneoftheoldsettlersofNantucket,andtheancestresstoalonglineofFolgersandharpooneers-allkithandkintonobleBenjamin-thisdaydartingthebarbedironfromonesideoftheworldtotheother.
InoneofthemightytriumphsgiventoaRomangeneraluponhisenteringtheworld’scapital,thebonesofawhale,broughtallthewayfromtheSyriancoast,werethemostconspicuousobjectinthecymballedprocession.
Seesubsequentchaptersforsomethingmoreonthishead.Grantit,sinceyouciteit;butsaywhatyouwill,thereisnorealdignityinwhaling.
Nodignityinwhaling?Thedignityofourcallingtheveryheavensattest.Cetusisaconstellationinthesouth!Nomore!
And,asforme,if,byanypossibility,therebeanyasyetundiscoveredprimethinginme;ifIshalleverdeserveanyrealreputeinthatsmallbuthighhushedworldwhichImightnotbeunreasonablyambitiousof;ifhereafterIshalldoanythinguponthewhole,amanmightratherhavedonethantohaveleftundone;if,atmydeath,myexecutors,ormoreproperlymycreditors,findanypreciousMSS.
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