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OnTower-hill,asyougodowntotheLondondocks,youmayhaveseenacrippledbeggar(orkedger,asthesailorssay)holdingapaintedboardbeforehim,representingthetragicsceneinwhichhelosthisleg.
Therearethreewhalesandthreeboats;andoneoftheboats(presumedtocontainthemissingleginallitsoriginalintegrity)isbeingcrunchedbythejawsoftheforemostwhale.
Anytimethesetenyears,theytellme,hasthatmanheldupthatpicture,andexhibitedthatstumptoanincredulousworld.
Butthetimeofhisjustificationhasnowcome.
HisthreewhalesareasgoodwhalesaswereeverpublishedinWapping,atanyrate;andhisstumpasunquestionableastumpasanyyouwillfindinthewesternclearings.
But,thoughforevermountedonthatstump,neverastump-speechdoesthepoorwhalemanmake;but,withdowncasteyes,standsruefullycontemplatinghisownamputation.
ThroughoutthePacific,andalsoinNantucket,andNewBedford,andSagHarbor,youwillcomeacrosslivelysketchesofwhalesandwhaling-scenes,gravenbythefishermenthemselvesonSpermWhale-teeth,orladies’buskswroughtoutoftheRightWhale-bone,andotherlikeskrimshanderarticles,asthewhalemencallthenumerouslittleingeniouscontrivancestheyelaboratelycarveoutoftheroughmaterial,intheirhoursofoceanleisure.
Someofthemhavelittleboxesofdentistical-lookingimplements,speciallyintendedfortheskrimshanderingbusiness.
But,ingeneral,theytoilwiththeirjack-knivesalone;and,withthatalmostomnipotenttoolofthesailor,theywillturnyououtanythingyouplease,inthewayofamariner’sfancy.
LongexilefromChristendomandcivilizationinevitablyrestoresamantothatconditioninwhichGodplacedhim,i.e.whatiscalledsavagery.
Yourtruewhale-hunterisasmuchasavageasanIroquois.
Imyselfamasavage,owningnoallegiancebuttotheKingoftheCannibals;andreadyatanymomenttorebelagainsthim.
Now,oneofthepeculiarcharacteristicsofthesavageinhisdomestichours,ishiswonderfulpatienceofindustry.
AnancientHawaiianwar-cluborspear-paddle,initsfullmultiplicityandelaborationofcarving,isasgreatatrophyofhumanperseveranceasaLatinlexicon.
For,withbutabitofbrokensea-shellorashark’stooth,thatmiraculousintricacyofwoodennet-workhasbeenachieved;andithascoststeadyyearsofsteadyapplication.
AswiththeHawaiiansavage,sowiththewhitesailor-savage.
Withthesamemarvellouspatience,andwiththesamesingleshark’stooth,ofhisonepoorjack-knife,hewillcarveyouabitofbonesculpture,notquiteasworkmanlike,butasclosepackedinitsmazinessofdesign,astheGreeksavage,Achilles’sshield;andfullofbarbaricspiritandsuggestiveness,astheprintsofthatfineDutchsavage,AlbertDurer.
Woodenwhales,orwhalescutinprofileoutofthesmalldarkslabsofthenobleSouthSeawar-wood,arefrequentlymetwithintheforecastlesofAmericanwhalers.
Someofthemaredonewithmuchaccuracy.
Atsomeoldgable-roofedcountryhousesyouwillseebrasswhaleshungbythetailforknockerstotheroad-sidedoor.
Whentheporterissleepy,theanvil-headedwhalewouldbebest.
Buttheseknockingwhalesareseldomremarkableasfaithfulessays.
Onthespiresofsomeold-fashionedchurchesyouwillseesheet-ironwhalesplacedthereforweathercocks;buttheyaresoelevated,andbesidesthataretoallintentsandpurposessolabelledwith“Handsoff!”
youcannotexaminethemcloselyenoughtodecideupontheirmerit.
Inbony,ribbyregionsoftheearth,whereatthebaseofhighbrokencliffsmassesofrockliestrewninfantasticgroupingsupontheplain,youwilloftendiscoverimagesasofthepetrifiedformsoftheLeviathanpartlymergedingrass,whichofawindydaybreaksagainsttheminasurfofgreensurges.
Then,again,inmountainouscountrieswherethetravelleriscontinuallygirdledbyamphitheatricalheights;hereandtherefromsomeluckypointofviewyouwillcatchpassingglimpsesoftheprofilesofwhalesdefinedalongtheundulatingridges.
Butyoumustbeathoroughwhaleman,toseethesesights;andnotonlythat,butifyouwishtoreturntosuchasightagain,youmustbesureandtaketheexactintersectinglatitudeandlongitudeofyourfirststand-point,elsesochance-likearesuchobservationsofthehills,thatyourprecise,previousstand-pointwouldrequirealaboriousre-discovery;liketheSolomaislands,whichstillremainincognita,thoughoncehigh-ruffledMendannatrodthemandoldFiguerachronicledthem.
Norwhenexpandinglyliftedbyyoursubject,canyoufailtotraceoutgreatwhalesinthestarryheavens,andboatsinpursuitofthem;aswhenlongfilledwiththoughtsofwartheEasternnationssawarmieslockedinbattleamongtheclouds.
ThusattheNorthhaveIchasedLeviathanroundandroundthePolewiththerevolutionsofthebrightpointsthatfirstdefinedhimtome.
AndbeneaththeeffulgentAntarcticskiesIhaveboardedtheArgo-Navis,andjoinedthechaseagainstthestarryCetusfarbeyondtheutmoststretchofHydrusandtheFlyingFish.
Withafrigate’sanchorsformybridle-bittsandfascesofharpoonsforspurs,wouldIcouldmountthatwhaleandleapthetopmostskies,toseewhetherthefabledheavenswithalltheircountlesstentsreallylieencampedbeyondmymortalsight!
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