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Thatmortalmanshouldfeeduponthecreaturethatfeedshislamp,and,likeStubb,eathimbyhisownlight,asyoumaysay;thisseemssooutlandishathingthatonemustneedsgoalittleintothehistoryandphilosophyofit.
Itisuponrecord,thatthreecenturiesagothetongueoftheRightWhalewasesteemedagreatdelicacyinFrance,andcommandedlargepricesthere.
Also,thatinHenryVIIIth’stime,acertaincookofthecourtobtainedahandsomerewardforinventinganadmirablesaucetobeeatenwithbarbacuedporpoises,which,youremember,areaspeciesofwhale.
Porpoises,indeed,aretothisdayconsideredfineeating.
Themeatismadeintoballsaboutthesizeofbilliardballs,andbeingwellseasonedandspicedmightbetakenforturtle-ballsorvealballs.
TheoldmonksofDunfermlinewereveryfondofthem.
Theyhadagreatporpoisegrantfromthecrown.
Thefactis,thatamonghishuntersatleast,thewhalewouldbyallhandsbeconsideredanobledish,weretherenotsomuchofhim;butwhenyoucometositdownbeforeameat-pienearlyonehundredfeetlong,ittakesawayyourappetite.
OnlythemostunprejudicedofmenlikeStubb,nowadayspartakeofcookedwhales;buttheEsquimauxarenotsofastidious.
Weallknowhowtheyliveuponwhales,andhaverareoldvintagesofprimeoldtrainoil.
Zogranda,oneoftheirmostfamousdoctors,recommendsstripsofblubberforinfants,asbeingexceedinglyjuicyandnourishing.
AndthisremindsmethatcertainEnglishmen,wholongagowereaccidentallyleftinGreenlandbyawhalingvessel-thatthesemenactuallylivedforseveralmonthsonthemouldyscrapsofwhaleswhichhadbeenleftashoreaftertryingouttheblubber.
AmongtheDutchwhalementhesescrapsarecalled“fritters”;which,indeed,theygreatlyresemble,beingbrownandcrisp,andsmellingsomethinglikeoldAmsterdamhousewives’dough-nutsoroly-cooks,whenfresh.
Theyhavesuchaneatablelookthatthemostself-denyingstrangercanhardlykeephishandsoff.
Butwhatfurtherdepreciatesthewhaleasacivilizeddish,ishisexceedingrichness.
Heisthegreatprizeoxofthesea,toofattobedelicatelygood.
Lookathishump,whichwouldbeasfineeatingasthebuffalo’s(whichisesteemedararedish),wereitnotsuchasolidpyramidoffat.
Butthespermacetiitself,howblandandcreamythatis;likethetransparent,halfjellied,whitemeatofacocoanutinthethirdmonthofitsgrowth,yetfartoorichtosupplyasubstituteforbutter.
Nevertheless,manywhalemenhaveamethodofabsorbingitintosomeothersubstance,andthenpartakingofit.
Inthelongtrywatchesofthenightitisacommonthingfortheseamentodiptheirship-biscuitintothehugeoil-potsandletthemfrythereawhile.ManyagoodsupperhaveIthusmade.
InthecaseofasmallSpermWhalethebrainsareaccountedafinedish.
Thecasketoftheskullisbrokenintowithanaxe,andthetwoplump,whitishlobesbeingwithdrawn(preciselyresemblingtwolargepuddings),theyarethenmixedwithflour,andcookedintoamostdelectablemess,inflavorsomewhatresemblingcalves’head,whichisquiteadishamongsomeepicures;andeveryoneknowsthatsomeyoungbucksamongtheepicures,bycontinuallydininguponcalves’brains,byandbygettohavealittlebrainsoftheirown,soastobeabletotellacalf’sheadfromtheirownheads;which,indeed,requiresuncommondiscrimination.
Andthatisthereasonwhyayoungbuckwithanintelligentlookingcalf’sheadbeforehim,issomehowoneofthesaddestsightsyoucansee.
Theheadlooksasortofreproachfullyathim,withan“EttuBrute!”expression.
Itisnot,perhaps,entirelybecausethewhaleissoexcessivelyunctuousthatlandsmenseemtoregardtheeatingofhimwithabhorrence;thatappearstoresult,insomeway,fromtheconsiderationbeforementioned:i.e.thatamanshouldeatanewlymurderedthingofthesea,andeatittoobyitsownlight.
Butnodoubtthefirstmanthatevermurderedanoxwasregardedasamurderer;perhapshewashung;andifhehadbeenputonhistrialbyoxen,hecertainlywouldhavebeen;andhecertainlydeserveditifanymurdererdoes.
Gotothemeat-marketofaSaturdaynightandseethecrowdsoflivebipedsstaringupatthelongrowsofdeadquadrupeds.
Doesnotthatsighttakeatoothoutofthecannibal’sjaw?Cannibals?whoisnotacannibal?
ItellyouitwillbemoretolerablefortheFejeethatsalteddownaleanmissionaryinhiscellaragainstacomingfamine;itwillbemoretolerableforthatprovidentFejee,Isay,inthedayofjudgment,thanforthee,civilizedandenlightenedgourmand,whonailestgeesetothegroundandfeastestontheirbloatedliversinthypate-de-foie-gras.
ButStubb,heeatsthewhalebyitsownlight,doeshe?
andthatisaddinginsulttoinjury,isit?
Lookatyourknife-handle,there,mycivilizedandenlightenedgourmand,diningoffthatroastbeef,whatisthathandlemadeof?
-whatbutthebonesofthebrotheroftheveryoxyouareeating?
Andwhatdoyoupickyourteethwith,afterdevouringthatfatgoose?Withafeatherofthesamefowl.
AndwithwhatquilldidtheSecretaryoftheSocietyfortheSuppressionofCrueltyofGandersformallyinditehiscirculars?
Itisonlywithinthelastmonthortwothatthesocietypassedaresolutiontopatronizenothingbutsteelpens.
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