English
Crossingthedeck,letusnowhaveagoodlonglookatthetheRightWhale’shead.
AsingeneralshapethenobleSpermWhale’sheadmaybecomparedtoaRomanwar-chariot(especiallyinfront,whereitissobroadlyrounded);so,atabroadview,theRightWhale’sheadbearsaratherinelegantresemblancetoagiganticgalliot-toedshoe.
TwohundredyearsagoanoldDutchvoyagerlikeneditsshapetothatofashoemaker’slast.
Andinthissamelastorshoe,thatoldwomanofthenurserytalewiththeswarmingbrood,mightverycomfortablybelodged,sheandallherprogeny.
Butasyoucomenearertothisgreatheaditbeginstoassumedifferentaspects,accordingtoyourpointofview.
Ifyoustandonitssummitandlookatthesetwof-shapedspout-holes,youwouldtakethewholeheadforanenormousbassviol,andthesespiracles,theaperturesinitssoundingboard.
Then,again,ifyoufixyoureyeuponthisstrange,crested,comblikeincrustationonthetopofthemass-thisgreen,barnacledthing,whichtheGreenlanderscallthe“crown,”andtheSouthernfishersthe“bonnet”oftheRightWhale;fixingyoureyessolelyonthis,youwouldtaketheheadforthetrunkofsomehugeoak,withabird’snestinitscrotch.
Atanyrate,whenyouwatchthoselivecrabsthatnestlehereonthisbonnet,suchanideawillbealmostsuretooccurtoyou;unless,indeed,yourfancyhasbeenfixedbythetechnicalterm“crown”alsobestoweduponit;inwhichcaseyouwilltakegreatinterestinthinkinghowthismightymonsterisactuallyadiademedkingofthesea,whosegreencrownhasbeenputtogetherforhiminthismarvellousmanner.
Butifthiswhalebeaking,heisaverysulkylookingfellowtograceadiadem.Lookatthathanginglowerlip!whatahugesulkandpoutisthere!
asulkandpout,bycarpenter’smeasurement,abouttwentyfeetlongandfivefeetdeep;asulkandpoutthatwillyieldyousome500gallonsofoilandmore.
Agreatpity,now,thatthisunfortunatewhaleshouldbehare-lipped.Thefissureisaboutafootacross.
ProbablythemotherduringanimportantintervalwassailingdownthePeruviancoast,whenearthquakescausedthebeachtogape.
Overthislip,asoveraslipperythreshold,wenowslideintothemouth.
UponmywordwereIatMackinaw,IshouldtakethistobetheinsideofanIndianwigwam.GoodLord!isthistheroadthatJonahwent?
Theroofisabouttwelvefeethigh,andrunstoaprettysharpangle,asiftherewerearegularridge-polethere;whiletheseribbed,arched,hairysides,presentuswiththosewondrous,halfvertical,scimitar-shapedslatsofwhalebone,saythreehundredonaside,whichdependingfromtheupperpartoftheheadorcrownbone,formthoseVenetianblindswhichhaveelsewherebeencursorilymentioned.
Theedgesofthesebonesarefringedwithhairyfibres,throughwhichtheRightWhalestrainsthewater,andinwhoseintricaciesheretainsthesmallfish,whenopenmouthedhegoesthroughtheseasofbritinfeedingtime.
Inthecentralblindsofbone,astheystandintheirnaturalorder,therearecertaincuriousmarks,curves,hollows,andridges,wherebysomewhalemencalculatethecreature’sage,astheageofanoakbyitscircularrings.
Thoughthecertaintyofthiscriterionisfarfromdemonstrable,yetithasthesavorofanalogicalprobability.
Atanyrate,ifweyieldtoit,wemustgrantafargreateragetotheRightWhalethanatfirstglancewillseemreasonable.
Inoldtimes,thereseemtohaveprevailedthemostcuriousfanciesconcerningtheseblinds.
OnevoyagerinPurchascallsthemthewondrous“whiskers”insideofthewhale’smouth;*another,“hogs’bristles”;athirdoldgentlemaninHackluytusesthefollowingelegantlanguage:“Thereareabouttwohundredandfiftyfinsgrowingoneachsideofhisupperchop,whicharchoverhistongueoneachsideofhismouth.”
*ThisremindsusthattheRightWhalereallyhasasortofwhisker,orratheramoustache,consistingofafewscatteredwhitehairsontheupperpartoftheouterendofthelowerjaw.
Sometimesthesetuftsimpartaratherbrigandishexpressiontohisotherwisesolemncountenance.
Aseveryoneknows,thesesame“hogs’bristles,”“fins,”“whiskers,”“blinds,”orwhateveryouplease,furnishtotheladiestheirbusksandotherstiffeningcontrivances.
Butinthisparticular,thedemandhaslongbeenonthedecline.
ItwasinQueenAnne’stimethatthebonewasinitsglory,thefarthingalebeingthenallthefashion.
Andasthoseancientdamesmovedaboutgaily,thoughinthejawsofthewhale,asyoumaysay;evenso,inashower,withthelikethoughtlessness,dowenowadaysflyunderthesamejawsforprotection;theumbrellabeingatentspreadoverthesamebone.
Butnowforgetallaboutblindsandwhiskersforamoment,and,standingintheRightWhale’smouth,lookaroundyouafresh.
Seeingallthesecolonnadesofbonesomethodicallyrangedabout,wouldyounotthinkyouwereinsideofthegreatHaarlemorgan,andgazinguponitsthousandpipes?
ForacarpettotheorganwehavearugofthesoftestTurkey-thetongue,whichisglued,asitwere,tothefloorofthemouth.
Itisveryfatandtender,andapttotearinpiecesinhoistingitondeck.
Thisparticulartonguenowbeforeus;atapassingglanceIshouldsayitwasasix-barreler;thatis,itwillyieldyouaboutthatamountofoil.
Erethis,youmusthaveplainlyseenthetruthofwhatIstartedwith-thattheSpermWhaleandtheRightWhalehavealmostentirelydifferentheads.
Tosumup,then:intheRightWhale’sthereisnogreatwellofsperm;noivoryteethatall;nolong,slendermandibleofalowerjaw,liketheSpermWhale’s.
NorintheSpermWhalearethereanyofthoseblindsofbone;nohugelowerlip;andscarcelyanythingofatongue.
Again,theRightWhalehastwoexternalspout-holes,theSpermWhaleonlyone.
Lookyourlastnow,onthesevenerablehoodedheads,whiletheyyetlietogether;foronewillsoonsink,unrecorded,inthesea;theotherwillnotbeverylonginfollowing.
CanyoucatchtheexpressionoftheSpermWhale’sthere?
Itisthesamehediedwith,onlysomeofthelongerwrinklesintheforeheadseemnowfadedaway.
Ithinkhisbroadbrowtobefullofaprairie-likeplacidity,bornofaspeculativeindifferenceastodeath.Butmarktheotherhead’sexpression.
Seethatamazinglowerlip,pressedbyaccidentagainstthevessel’sside,soasfirmlytoembracethejaw.
Doesnotthiswholeheadseemtospeakofanenormouspracticalresolutionfacingdeath?
ThisRightWhaleItaketohavebeenaStoic;theSpermWhale,aPlatonian,whomighthavetakenupSpinozainhislatteryears.
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