Forleaguesandleaguesundulatedroundus,sothatweseemedtobesailingthroughboundlessfieldsofripeandgoldenwheat.
Onthesecondday,numbersofRightWhaleswereseen,who,securefromtheattackofaSperm-WhalerlikethePequod,withopenjawssluggishlyswamthroughthebrit,which,adheringtothefringingfibresofthatwondrousVenetianblindintheirmouths,wasinthatmannerseparatedfromthewaterthatescapedatthelips.
Asmorningmowers,whosidebysideslowlyandseethinglyadvancetheirscythesthroughthelongwetgrassofmarshymeads;evensothesemonstersswam,makingastrange,grassy,cuttingsound;andleavingbehindthemendlessswathsofblueupontheyellowsea.
Thatpartoftheseaknownamongwhalemenasthe“BrazilBanks”doesnotbearthatnameastheBanksofNewfoundlanddo,becauseoftherebeingshallowsandsoundingsthere,butbecauseofthisremarkablemeadow-likeappearance,causedbythevastdriftsofbritcontinuallyfloatinginthoselatitudes,wheretheRightWhaleisoftenchased.
Seenfromthemast-heads,especiallywhentheypausedandwerestationaryforawhile,theirvastblackformslookedmorelikelifelessmassesofrockthananythingelse.
AndasinthegreathuntingcountriesofIndia,thestrangeratadistancewillsometimespassontheplainsrecumbentelephantswithoutknowingthemtobesuch,takingthemforbare,blackenedelevationsofthesoil;evenso,often,withhim,whoforthefirsttimebeholdsthisspeciesoftheleviathansofthesea.
Andevenwhenrecognizedatlast,theirimmensemagnituderendersitveryhardreallytobelievethatsuchbulkymassesofovergrowthcanpossiblybeinstinct,inallparts,withthesamesortoflifethatlivesinadogorahorse.
Indeed.inotherrespects,youcanhardlyregardanycreaturesofthedeepwiththesamefeelingthatyoudothoseoftheshore.
Forthoughsomeoldnaturalistshavemaintainedthatallcreaturesofthelandareoftheirkindinthesea;andthoughtakingabroadgeneralviewofthething,thismayverywellbe;yetcomingtospecialties,where,forexample,doestheoceanfurnishanyfishthatindispositionanswerstothesagaciouskindnessofthedog?
Butthough,tolandsmeningeneral,thenativeinhabitantsoftheseashaveeverregardedwithemotionsunspeakablyunsocialandrepelling;thoughweknowtheseatobeaneverlastingterraincognita,sothatColumbussailedovernumberlessunknownworldstodiscoverhisonesuperficialwesternone;though,byvastodds,themostterrificofallmortaldisastershaveimmemoriallyandindiscriminatelybefallentensandhundredsofthousandsofthosewhohavegoneuponthewaters;thoughbutamoment’sconsiderationwillteachthat,howeverbabymanmaybragofhisscienceandskill,andhowevermuch,inaflatteringfuture,thatscienceandskillmayaugment;yetforeverandforever,tothecrackofdoom,theseawillinsultandmurderhim,andpulverizethestateliest,stiffestfrigatehecanmake;nevertheless,bythecontinualrepetitionoftheseveryimpressions,manhaslostthatsenseofthefullawfulnessoftheseawhichaboriginallybelongstoit.
Thefirstboatwereadof,floatedonanocean,thatwithPortuguesevengeancehadwhelmedawholeworldwithoutleavingsomuchasawidow.
PreternaturalterrorsrestedupontheHebrews,whenunderthefeetofKorahandhiscompanythelivegroundopenedandswallowedthemupforever;yetnotamodernsuneversets,butinpreciselythesamemannertheliveseaswallowsupshipsandcrews.
Butnotonlyistheseasuchafoetomanwhoisanalientoit,butitisalsoafiendtoitsownoff-spring;worsethanthePersianhostwhomurderedhisownguests;sparingnotthecreatureswhichitselfhathspawned.
Likeasavagetigressthattossinginthejungleoverlaysherowncubs,sotheseadasheseventhemightiestwhalesagainsttherocks,andleavesthemtheresidebysidewiththesplitwrecksofships.
Considerthesubtlenessofthesea;howitsmostdreadedcreaturesglideunderwater,unapparentforthemostpart,andtreacherouslyhiddenbeneaththeloveliesttintsofazure.
Consideralsothedevilishbrillianceandbeautyofmanyofitsmostremorselesstribes,asthedaintyembellishedshapeofmanyspeciesofsharks.
Consideroncemore,theuniversalcannibalismofthesea;allwhosecreaturespreyuponeachother,carryingoneternalwarsincetheworldbegan.
Considerallthis;andthenturntothisgreen,gentle,andmostdocileearth;considerthemboth,theseaandtheland;anddoyounotfindastrangeanalogytosomethinginyourself?
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