English
Erequitting,forthenonce,theSpermWhale’shead,Iwouldhaveyou,asasensiblephysiologist,simply-particularlyremarkitsfrontaspect,inallitscompactedcollectedness.
Iwouldhaveyouinvestigateitnowwiththesoleviewofformingtoyourselfsomeunexaggerated,intelligentestimateofwhateverbattering-rampowermaybelodgedthere.
Hereisavitalpoint;foryoumusteithersatisfactorilysettlethismatterwithyourself,orforeverremainaninfidelastooneofthemostappalling,butnotthelesstrueevents,perhapsanywheretobefoundinallrecordedhistory.
YouobservethatintheordinaryswimmingpositionoftheSpermWhale,thefrontofhisheadpresentsanalmostwhollyverticalplanetothewater;youobservethatthelowerpartofthatfrontslopesconsiderablybackwards,soastofurnishmoreofaretreatforthelongsocketwhichreceivestheboom-likelowerjaw;youobservethatthemouthisentirelyunderthehead,muchinthesameway,indeed,asthoughyourownmouthwereentirelyunderyourchin.
Moreoveryouobservethatthewhalehasnoexternalnose;andthatwhatnosehehas-hisspouthole-isonthetopofhishead;youobservethathiseyesandearsareatthesidesofhishead;nearlyonethirdofhisentirelengthfromthefront.
Wherefore,youmustnowhaveperceivedthatthefrontoftheSpermWhale’sheadisadead,blindwall,withoutasingleorganortenderprominenceofanysortwhatsoever.
Furthermore,youarenowtoconsiderthatonlyintheextreme,lower,backwardslopingpartofthefrontofthehead,istheretheslightestvestigeofbone;andnottillyougetneartwentyfeetfromtheforeheaddoyoucometothefullcranialdevelopment.
Sothatthiswholeenormousbonelessmassisasonewad.
Finally,though,aswillsoonberevealed,itscontentspartlycomprisethemostdelicateoil;yet,youarenowtobeapprisedofthenatureofthesubstancewhichsoimpregnablyinvestsallthatapparenteffeminacy.
InsomepreviousplaceIhavedescribedtoyouhowtheblubberwrapsthebodyofthewhale,astherindwrapsanorange.
Justsowiththehead;butwiththisdifference:abouttheheadthisenvelope,thoughnotsothickisofabonelesstoughness,inestimablebyanymanwhohasnothandledit.
Theseverestpointedharpoon,thesharpestlancedartedbythestrongesthumanarm,impotentlyreboundsfromit.
ItisasthoughtheforeheadoftheSpermWhalewerepavedwithhorses’hoofs.
Idonotthinkthatanysensationlurksinit.
Bethinkyourselfalsoofanotherthing.Whentwolarge,loadedIndian-menchancetocrowdandcrushtowardseachotherinthedocks,whatdothesailorsdo?
Theydonotsuspendbetweenthem,atthepointofcomingcontact,anymerelyhardsubstance,likeironorwood.
No,theyholdtherealarge,roundwadoftowandcork,envelopedinthethickestandtoughestofox-hide.
Thatbravelyanduninjuredtakesthejamwhichwouldhavesnappedalltheiroakenhandspikesandironcrow-bars.
ByitselfthissufficientlyillustratestheobviousfactIdriveat.
Butsupplementarytothis,ithashypotheticallyoccurredtome,thatasordinaryfishpossesswhatiscalledaswimmingbladderinthem,capable,atwill,ofdistensionorcontraction;andastheSpermWhale,asfarasIknow,hasnosuchprovisioninhim;considering,too,theotherwiseinexplicablemannerinwhichhenowdepresseshisheadaltogetherbeneaththesurface,andanonswimswithithighelevatedoutofthewater;consideringtheunobstructedelasticityofitsenvelope;consideringtheuniqueinteriorofhishead;ithashypotheticallyoccurredtome,Isay,thatthosemysticallung-celledhoneycombstheremaypossiblyhavesomehithertounknownandunsuspectedconnexionwiththeouterair,soastobesusceptibletoatmosphericdistensionandcontraction.
Ifthisbeso,fancytheirresistiblenessofthatmight,towhichthemostimpalpableanddestructiveofallelementscontributes.
Now,mark.Unerringlyimpellingthisdead,impregnable,uninjurablewall,andthismostbuoyantthingwithin;thereswimsbehinditallamassoftremendouslife,onlytobeadequatelyestimatedaspiledwoodis-bythecord;andallobedienttoonevolition,asthesmallestinsect.
SothatwhenIshallhereafterdetailtoyouallthespecialitiesandconcentrationsofpotencyeverywherelurkinginthisexpansivemonster;whenIshallshowyousomeofhismoreinconsiderablebrainingfeats;Itrustyouwillhaverenouncedallignorantincredulity,andbereadytoabidebythis;thatthoughtheSpermWhalestoveapassagethroughtheIsthmusofDarien,andmixedtheAtlanticwiththePacific,youwouldnotelevateonehairofyoureye-brow.
Forunlessyouownthewhale,youarebutaprovincialandsentimentalistinTruth.
ButclearTruthisathingforsalamandergiantsonlytoencounter;howsmallthechancesfortheprovincialsthen?
Whatbefelltheweaklingyouthliftingthedreadgoddess’sveilatLais?
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