English
Inconnexionwiththemonstrouspicturesofwhales,Iamstronglytemptedheretoenteruponthosestillmoremonstrousstoriesofthemwhicharetobefoundincertainbooks,bothancientandmodern,especiallyinPliny,Purchas,Hackluyt,Harris,Cuvier,&c.ButIpassthatmatterby.
IknowofonlyfourpublishedoutlinesofthegreatSpermWhale;Colnett’s,Huggins’s,FrederickCuvier’s,andBeale’s.
InthepreviouschapterColnettandCuvierhavebeenreferredto.
Huggins’sisfarbetterthantheirs;but,bygreatodds,Beale’sisthebest.
AllBeale’sdrawingsofthiswhalearegood,exceptingthemiddlefigureinthepictureofthreewhalesinvariousattitudes,cappinghissecondchapter.
Hisfrontispiece,boatsattackingSpermWhales,thoughnodoubtcalculatedtoexcitethecivilscepticismofsomeparlormen,isadmirablycorrectandlife-likeinitsgeneraleffect.
SomeoftheSpermWhaledrawingsinJ.RossBrowneareprettycorrectincontour;buttheyarewretchedlyengraved.Thatisnothisfaultthough.
OftheRightWhale,thebestoutlinepicturesareinScoresby;buttheyaredrawnontoosmallascaletoconveyadesirableimpression.
Hehasbutonepictureofwhalingscenes,andthisisasaddeficiency,becauseitisbysuchpicturesonly,whenatallwelldone,thatyoucanderiveanythinglikeatruthfulideaofthelivingwhaleasseenbyhislivinghunters.
But,takenforallinall,byfarthefinest,thoughinsomedetailsnotthemostcorrect,presentationsofwhalesandwhalingscenestobeanywherefound,aretwolargeFrenchengravings,wellexecuted,andtakenfrompaintingsbyoneGarnery.
Respectively,theyrepresentattacksontheSpermandRightWhale.
InthefirstengravinganobleSpermWhaleisdepictedinfullmajestyofmight,justrisenbeneaththeboatfromtheprofunditiesoftheocean,andbearinghighinthe.
airuponhisbacktheterrificwreckofthestovenplanks.
Theprowoftheboatispartiallyunbroken,andisdrawnjustbalancinguponthemonster’sspine;andstandinginthatprow,forthatonesingleincomputableflashoftime,youbeholdanoarsman,halfshroudedbytheincensedboilingspoutofthewhale,andintheactofleaping,asiffromaprecipice.
Theactionofthewholethingiswonderfullygoodandtrue.
Thehalf-emptiedline-tubfloatsonthewhitenedsea;thewoodenpolesofthespilledharpoonsobliquelybobinit;theheadsoftheswimmingcrewarescatteredaboutthewhaleincontrastingexpressionsofaffright;whileintheblackstormydistancetheshipisbearingdownuponthescene.
Seriousfaultmightbefoundwiththeanatomicaldetailsofthiswhale,butletthatpass;since,forthelifeofme,Icouldnotdrawsogoodaone.
Inthesecondengraving,theboatisintheactofdrawingalongsidethebarnacledflankofalargerunningRightWhale,thatrollshisblackweedybulkinthesealikesomemossyrock-slidefromthePatagoniancliffs.
Hisjetsareerect,full,andblacklikesoot;sothatfromsoaboundingasmokeinthechimney,youwouldthinktheremustbeabravesuppercookinginthegreatbowelsbelow.
Seafowlsarepeckingatthesmallcrabs,shell-fish,andotherseacandiesandmaccaroni,whichtheRightWhalesometimescarriesonhispestilentback.
Andallthewhilethethick-lippedleviathanisrushingthroughthedeep,leavingtonsoftumultuouswhitecurdsinhiswake,andcausingtheslightboattorockintheswellslikeaskiffcaughtnighthepaddle-wheelsofanoceansteamer.
Thus,thefore-groundisallragingcommotion;butbehind,inadmirableartisticcontrast,istheglassylevelofaseabecalmed,thedroopingunstarchedsailsofthepowerlessship,andtheinertmassofadeadwhale,aconqueredfortress,withtheflagofcapturelazilyhangingfromtheinsertedintohisspout-hole.
WhoGarnerythepainteris,orwas,Iknownot.
Butmylifeforithewaseitherpracticallyconversantwithhissubject,orelsemarvellouslytutoredbysomeexperiencedwhaleman.
TheFrencharetheladsforpaintingaction.
GoandgazeuponallthepaintingsofEurope,andwherewillyoufindsuchagalleryoflivingandbreathingcommotiononcanvas,asinthattriumphalhallatVersailles;wherethebeholderfightshisway,pell-mell,throughtheconsecutivegreatbattlesofFrance;whereeveryswordseemsaflashoftheNorthernLights,andthesuccessivearmedkingsandEmperorsdashby,likeachargeofcrownedcentaurs?
Notwhollyunworthyofaplaceinthatgallery,aretheseseabattle-piecesofGarnery.
ThenaturalaptitudeoftheFrenchforseizingthepicturesquenessofthingsseemstobepeculiarlyevincedinwhatpaintingsandengravingstheyhaveoftheirwhalingscenes.
WithnotonetenthofEngland’sexperienceinthefishery,andnotthethousandthpartofthatoftheAmericans,theyhaveneverthelessfurnishedbothnationswiththeonlyfinishedsketchesatallcapableofconveyingtherealspiritofthewhalehunt.
Forthemostpart,theEnglishandAmericanwhaledraughtsmenseementirelycontentwithpresentingthemechanicaloutlineofthings,suchasthevacantprofileofthewhale;which,sofaraspicturesquenessofeffectisconcerned,isabouttantamounttosketchingtheprofileofapyramid.
EvenScoresby,thejustlyrenownedRightwhaleman,aftergivingusastifffulllengthoftheGreenlandwhale,andthreeorfourdelicateminiaturesofnarwhalesandporpoises,treatsustoaseriesofclassicalengravingsofboathooks,choppingknives,andgrapnels;andwiththemicroscopicdiligenceofaLeuwenhoecksubmitstotheinspectionofashiveringworldninety-sixfac-similesofmagnifiedArcticsnowcrystals.
Imeannodisparagementtotheexcellentvoyager(Ihonorhimforaveteran),butinsoimportantamatteritwascertainlyanoversightnottohaveprocuredforeverycrystalaswornaffidavittakenbeforeaGreenlandJusticeofthePeace.
InadditiontothosefineengravingsfromGarnery,therearetwootherFrenchengravingsworthyofnote,bysomeonewhosubscribeshimself“H.Durand.”
Oneofthem,thoughnotpreciselyadaptedtoourpresentpurpose,neverthelessdeservesmentiononotheraccounts.
Itisaquietnoon-sceneamongtheislesofthePacific;aFrenchwhaleranchored,inshore,inacalm,andlazilytakingwateronboard;theloosenedsailsoftheship,andthelongleavesofthepalmsinthebackground,bothdroopingtogetherinthebreezelessair.
Theeffectisveryfine,whenconsideredwithreferencetoitspresentingthehardyfishermenunderoneoftheirfewaspectsoforientalrepose.
Theotherengravingisquiteadifferentaffair:theshiphove-toupontheopensea,andintheveryheartoftheLeviathaniclife,withaRightWhalealongside;thevessel(intheactofcutting-in)hoveovertothemonsterasiftoaquay;andaboat,hurriedlypushingofffromthissceneofactivity,isaboutgivingchasetowhalesinthedistance.
Theharpoonsandlanceslielevelledforuse;threeoarsmenarejustsettingthemastinitshole;whilefromasuddenrolloftheship,thelittlecraftstandshalf-erectoutofthewater,likearearinghorse.
Fromthatship,thesmokeofthetormentsoftheboilingwhaleisgoinguplikethesmokeoveravillageofsmithies;andtowindward,ablackcloud,risingupwithearnestofsquallsandrains,seemstoquickentheactivityoftheexcitedseamen.
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