English
NowcomestheBalingoftheCase.Buttocomprehenditaright,youmustknowsomethingofthecuriousinternalstructureofthethingoperatedupon.
RegardingtheSpermWhale’sheadasasolidoblong,youmay,onaninclinedplane,sidewaysdivideitintotwoquoins,*whereoftheloweristhebonystructure,formingthecraniumandjaws,andtheupperanunctuousmasswhollyfreefrombones;itsbroadforwardendformingtheexpandedverticalapparentforeheadofthewhale.
Atthemiddleoftheforeheadhorizontallysubdividethisupperquoin,andthenyouhavetwoalmostequalparts,whichbeforewerenaturallydividedbyaninternalwallofathicktendinoussubstance.
*QuoinisnotaEuclideanterm.Itbelongstothepurenauticalmathematics.
Iknownotthatithasbeendefinedbefore.
Aquoinisasolidwhichdiffersfromawedgeinhavingitssharpendformedbythesteepinclinationofoneside,insteadofthemutualtaperingofbothsides.
Thelowersubdividedpart,calledthejunk,isoneimmensehoneycombofoil,formedbythecrossingandrecrossing,intotenthousandinfiltratedcells,oftoughelasticwhitefibresthroughoutitswholeextent.
Theupperpart,knownastheCase,mayberegardedasthegreatHeidelburghTunoftheSpermWhale.
Andasthatfamousgreattierceismysticallycarvedinfront,sothewhale’svastplaitedforeheadformsinnumerablestrangedevicesforemblematicaladornmentofhiswondroustun.
Moreover,asthatofHeidelburghwasalwaysreplenishedwiththemostexcellentofthewinesoftheRhenishvalleys,sothetunofthewhalecontainsbyfarthemostpreciousofallhisoilyvintages;namely,thehighly-prizedspermaceti,initsabsolutelypure,limpid,andodoriferousstate.
Noristhisprecioussubstancefoundunalloyedinanyotherpartofthecreature.
Thoughinlifeitremainsperfectlyfluid,yet,uponexposuretotheair,afterdeath,itsoonbeginstoconcrete;sendingforthbeautifulcrystallineshoots,aswhenthefirstthindelicateiceisjustforminginwater.
Alargewhale’scasegenerallyyieldsaboutfivehundredgallonsofsperm,thoughfromunavoidablecircumstances,considerableofitisspilled,leaks,anddribblesaway,orisotherwiseirrevocablylostintheticklishbusinessofsecuringwhatyoucan.
IknownotwithwhatfineandcostlymaterialtheHeidelburghTunwascoatedwithin,butinsuperlativerichnessthatcoatingcouldnotpossiblyhavecomparedwiththesilkenpearl-coloredmembrane,liketheliningofafinepelisse,formingtheinnersurfaceoftheSpermWhale’scase.
ItwillhavebeenseenthattheHeidelburghTunoftheSpermWhaleembracestheentirelengthoftheentiretopofthehead;andsince-ashasbeenelsewheresetforth-theheadembracesonethirdofthewholelengthofthecreature,thensettingthatlengthdownateightyfeetforagoodsizedwhale,youhavemorethantwenty-sixfeetforthedepthofthetun,whenitislengthwisehoistedupanddownagainstaship’sside.
Asindecapitatingthewhale,theoperator’sinstrumentisbroughtclosetothespotwhereanentranceissubsequentlyforcedintothespermacetimagazine;hehas,therefore,tobeuncommonlyheedful,lestacareless,untimelystrokeshouldinvadethesanctuaryandwastinglyletoutitsinvaluablecontents.
Itisthisdecapitatedendofthehead,also,whichisatlastelevatedoutofthewater,andretainedinthatpositionbytheenormouscuttingtackles,whosehempencombinations,ononeside,makequiteawildernessofropesinthatquarter.
Thusmuchbeingsaid,attendnow,Iprayyou,tothatmarvellousand-inthisparticularinstance-almostfataloperationwherebytheSpermWhale’sgreatHeidelburghTunistapped.
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