Thatforsixthousandyears-andnooneknowshowmanymillionsofagesbefore-thegreatwhalesshouldhavebeenspoutingalloverthesea,andsprinklingandmistifyingthegardensofthedeep,aswithsomanysprinklingormistifyingpots;andthatforsomecenturiesback,thousandsofhuntersshouldhavebeenclosebythefountainofthewhale,watchingthesesprinklingsandspoutings-thatallthisshouldbe,andyet,thatdowntothisblessedminute(fifteenandaquarterminutespastoneo’clockP.M.ofthissixteenthdayofDecember,A.D.1851),itshouldstillremainaproblem,whetherthesespoutingsare,afterall,reallywater,ornothingbutvapor-thisissurelyanoteworthything.
Everyoneknowsthatbythepeculiarcunningoftheirgills,thefinnytribesingeneralbreathetheairwhichatalltimesiscombinedwiththeelementinwhichtheyswim;hence,aherringoracodmightliveacentury,andneveronceraiseitsheadabovethesurface.
Butowingtohismarkedinternalstructurewhichgiveshimregularlungs,likeahumanbeing’s,thewhalecanonlylivebyinhalingthedisengagedairintheopenatmosphere.
Buthecannotinanydegreebreathethroughhismouth,for,inhisordinaryattitude,theSpermWhale’smouthisburiedatleasteightfeetbeneaththesurface;andwhatisstillmore,hiswindpipehasnoconnexionwithhismouth.
IfIsay,thatinanycreaturebreathingisonlyafunctionindispensabletovitality,inasmuchasitwithdrawsfromtheairacertainelement,whichbeingsubsequentlybroughtintocontactwiththebloodimpartstotheblooditsvivifyingprinciple,IdonotthinkIshallerr;thoughImaypossiblyusesomesuperfluousscientificwords.
Assumeit,anditfollowsthatifallthebloodinamancouldbeaeratedwithonebreath,hemightthensealuphisnostrilsandnotfetchanotherforaconsiderabletime.
Anomalousasitmayseem,thisispreciselythecasewiththewhale,whosystematicallylives,byintervals,hisfullhourandmore(whenatthebottom)withoutdrawingasinglebreath,orsomuchasinanywayinhalingaparticleofair;for,remember,hehasnogills.Howisthis?
BetweenhisribsandoneachsideofhisspineheissuppliedwitharemarkableinvolvedCretanlabyrinthofvermicelli-likevessels,whichvessels,whenhequitsthesurface,arecompletelydistendedwithoxygenatedblood.
Sothatforanhourormore,athousandfathomsinthesea,hecarriesasurplusstockofvitalityinhim,justasthecamelcrossingthewaterlessdesertcarriesasurplussupplyofdrinkforfutureuseinitsfoursupplementarystomachs.
Theanatomicalfactofthislabyrinthisindisputable;andthatthesuppositionfoundeduponitisreasonableandtrue,seemsthemorecogenttome,whenIconsidertheotherwiseinexplicableobstinacyofthatleviathaninhavinghisspoutingsout,asthefishermenphraseit.ThisiswhatImean.
Ifunmolested,uponrisingtothesurface,theSpermWhalewillcontinuethereforaperiodoftimeexactlyuniformwithallhisotherunmolestedrisings.
Sayhestayselevenminutes,andjetsseventytimes,thatis,respiresseventybreaths;thenwheneverherisesagain,hewillbesuretohavehisseventybreathsoveragain,toaminute.
Now,ifafterhefetchesafewbreathsyoualarmhim,sothathesounds,hewillbealwaysdodgingupagaintomakegoodhisregularallowanceofair.
Now,whyshouldthewhalethusinsistuponhavinghisspoutingsout,unlessitbetoreplenishhisreservoirofair,eredescendingforgood?
Inman,breathingisincessantlygoingon-onebreathonlyservingfortwoorthreepulsations;sothatwhateverotherbusinesshehastoattendto,wakingorsleeping,breathehemust,ordiehewill.
Ithasbeensaidthatthewhaleonlybreathesthroughhisspout-hole;ifitcouldtruthfullybeaddedthathisspoutsaremixedwithwater,thenIopineweshouldbefurnishedwiththereasonwhyhissenseofsmellseemsobliteratedinhim;fortheonlythingabouthimthatatallanswerstohisnoseisthatidenticalspout-hole;andbeingsocloggedwithtwoelements,itcouldnotbeexpectedtohavethepowerofsmelling.
Butowingtothemysteryofthespout-whetheritbewaterorwhetheritbevapor-noabsolutecertaintycanasyetbearrivedatonthishead.
Furthermore,ashiswindpipesolelyopensintothetubeofhisspoutingcanal,andasthatlongcanal-likethegrandErieCanal-isfurnishedwithasortoflocks(thatopenandshut)forthedownwardretentionofairortheupwardexclusionofwater,thereforethewhalehasnovoice;unlessyouinsulthimbysaying,thatwhenhesostrangelyrumbles,hetalksthroughhisnose.
SeldomhaveIknownanyprofoundbeingthathadanythingtosaytothisworld,unlessforcedtostammeroutsomethingbywayofgettingaliving.Oh!
Now,thespoutingcanaloftheSpermWhale,chieflyintendedasitisfortheconveyanceofair,andforseveralfeetlaidalong,horizontally,justbeneaththeuppersurfaceofhishead,andalittletooneside;thiscuriouscanalisverymuchlikeagas-pipelaiddowninacityononesideofastreet.
Butthequestionreturnswhetherthisgas-pipeisalsoawater-pipe;inotherwords,whetherthespoutoftheSpermWhaleisthemerevaporoftheexhaledbreath,orwhetherthatexhaledbreathismixedwithwatertakeninatthemouth,anddischargedthroughthespiracle.
Itiscertainthatthemouthindirectlycommunicateswiththespoutingcanal;butitcannotbeprovedthatthisisforthepurposeofdischargingwaterthroughthespiracle.
Besides,ifyouregardhimveryclosely,andtimehimwithyourwatch,youwillfindthatwhenunmolested,thereisanundeviatingrhymebetweentheperiodsofhisjetsandtheordinaryperiodsofrespiration.
Thecentralbodyofitishiddeninthesnowysparklingmistenvelopingit;andhowcanyoucertainlytellwhetheranywaterfallsfromit,when,always,whenyouarecloseenoughtoawhaletogetacloseviewofhisspout,heisinaprodigiouscommotion,thewatercascadingallaroundhim.
Andifatsuchtimesyoushouldthinkthatyoureallyperceiveddropsofmoistureinthespout,howdoyouknowthattheyarenotmerelycondensedfromitsvapor;orhowdoyouknowthattheyarenotthoseidenticaldropssuperficiallylodgedinthespout-holefissure,whichiscountersunkintothesummitofthewhale’shead?
Forevenwhentranquillyswimmingthroughthemid-dayseainacalm,withhiselevatedhumpsun-driedasadromedary’sinthedesert;eventhen,thewhalealwayscarriesasmallbasinofwateronhishead,asunderablazingsunyouwillsometimesseeacavityinarockfilledupwithrain.
Forevenwhencomingintoslightcontactwiththeouter,vaporyshredsofthejet,whichwilloftenhappen,yourskinwillfeverishlysmart,fromtheacridnessofthethingsotouchingit.
AndIknowone,whocomingintostillclosercontactwiththespout,whetherwithsomescientificobjectinview,orotherwise,Icannotsay,theskinpeeledofffromhischeekandarm.
Anotherthing;Ihavehearditsaid,andIdonotmuchdoubtit,thatifthejetisfairlyspoutedintoyoureyes,itwillblindyou.
Andbesidesotherreasons,tothisconclusionIamimpelled,byconsiderationstouchingthegreatinherentdignityandsublimityoftheSpermWhale;Iaccounthimnocommon,shallowbeing,inasmuchasitisanundisputedfactthatheisneverfoundonsoundings,ornearshores;allotherwhalessometimesare.Heisbothponderousandprofound.
AndIamconvincedthatfromtheheadsofallponderousprofoundbeings,suchasPlato,Pyrrho,theDevil,Jupiter,Dante,andsoon,therealwaysgoesupacertainsemi-visiblesteam,whileintheactofthinkingdeepthoughts.
WhilecomposingalittletreatiseonEternity,Ihadthecuriositytoplaceamirrorbeforeme;anderelongsawreflectedthere,acuriousinvolvedwormingandundulationintheatmosphereovermyhead.
Theinvariablemoistureofmyhair,whileplungedindeepthought,aftersixcupsofhotteainmythinshingledattic,ofanAugustnoon;thisseemsanadditionalargumentfortheabovesupposition.
Andhownoblyitraisesourconceitofthemighty,mistymonster,tobeholdhimsolemnlysailingthroughacalmtropicalsea;hisvast,mildheadoverhungbyacanopyofvapor,engenderedbyhisincommunicablecontemplations,andthatvapor-asyouwillsometimesseeit-glorifiedbyarainbow,asifHeavenitselfhadputitssealuponhisthoughts.
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