Now,thoughsuchgreatbodiesareattimesencountered,yet,asmusthavebeenseen,evenatthepresentday,smalldetachedbandsareoccasionallyobserved,embracingfromtwentytofiftyindividualseach.Suchbandsareknownasschools.
Theygenerallyareoftwosorts;thosecomposedalmostentirelyoffemales,andthosemusteringnonebutyoungvigorousmales,orbullsastheyarefamiliarlydesignated.
Incavalierattendanceupontheschooloffemales,youinvariablyseeamaleoffullgrownmagnitude,butnotold;who,uponanyalarm,evinceshisgallantrybyfallingintherearandcoveringtheflightofhisladies.
Intruth,thisgentlemanisaluxuriousOttoman,swimmingaboutoverthewateryworld,surroundinglyaccompaniedbyallthesolacesandendearmentsoftheharem.
ThecontrastbetweenthisOttomanandhisconcubinesisstriking;because,whileheisalwaysofthelargestleviathanicproportions,theladies,evenatfullgrowth,arenotmorethanone-thirdofthebulkofanaverage-sizedmale.
YoumeetthemontheLineintimeforthefullfloweroftheEquatorialfeedingseason,havingjustreturned,perhaps,fromspendingthesummerintheNorthernseas,andsocheatingsummerofallunpleasantwearinessandwarmth.
BythetimetheyhaveloungedupanddownthepromenadeoftheEquatorawhile,theystartfortheOrientalwatersinanticipationofthecoolseasonthere,andsoevadetheotherexcessivetemperatureoftheyear.
Whenserenelyadvancingononeofthesejourneys,ifanystrangesuspicioussightsareseen,mylordwhalekeepsawaryeyeonhisinterestingfamily.
ShouldanyunwarrantedpertyoungLeviathancomingthatway,presumetodrawconfidentiallyclosetooneoftheladies,withwhatprodigiousfurytheBashawassailshim,andchaseshimaway!
Hightimes,indeed,ifunprincipledyoungrakeslikehimaretobepermittedtoinvadethesanctityofdomesticbliss;thoughdowhattheBashawwill,hecannotkeepthemostnotoriousLothariooutofhisbed;foralas!allfishbedincommon.
Asashore,theladiesoftencausethemostterribleduelsamongtheirrivaladmirers;justsowiththewhales,whosometimescometodeadlybattle,andallforlove.
Theyfencewiththeirlonglowerjaws,sometimeslockingthemtogether,andsostrivingforthesupremacylikeelksthatwarringlyinterweavetheirantlers.
Notafewarecapturedhavingthedeepscarsoftheseencounters,-furrowedheads,brokenteeth,scollopedfins;andinsomeinstances,wrenchedanddislocatedmouths.
Butsupposingtheinvaderofdomesticblisstobetakehimselfawayatthefirstrushoftheharem’slord,thenisitverydivertingtowatchthatlord.
Gentlyheinsinuateshisvastbulkamongthemagainandrevelsthereawhile,stillintantalizingvicinitytoyoungLothario,likepiousSolomondevoutlyworshippingamonghisthousandconcubines.
Grantingotherwhalestobeinsight,thefishermanwillseldomgivechasetooneoftheseGrandTurks;fortheseGrandTurksaretoolavishoftheirstrength,andhencetheirunctuousnessissmall.
Asforthesonsanddaughterstheybeget,why,thosesonsanddaughtersmusttakecareofthemselves;atleast,withonlythematernalhelp.
Forlikecertainotheromnivorousrovingloversthatmightbenamed,myLordWhalehasnotasteforthenursery,howevermuchforthebower;andso,beingagreattraveller,heleaveshisanonymousbabiesallovertheworld;everybabyanexotic.
Ingoodtime,nevertheless,astheardorofyouthdeclines;asyearsanddumpsincrease;asreflectionlendshersolemnpauses;inshort,asagenerallassitudeovertakesthesatedTurk;thenaloveofeaseandvirtuesupplantstheloveformaidens;ourOttomanentersupontheimpotent,repentant,admonitorystageoflife,forswears,disbandstheharem,andgrowntoanexemplary,sulkyoldsoul,goesaboutallaloneamongthemeridiansandparallelssayinghisprayers,andwarningeachyoungLeviathanfromhisamorouserrors.
Now,astheharemofwhalesiscalledbythefishermenaschool,soisthelordandmasterofthatschooltechnicallyknownastheschoolmaster.
Itisthereforenotinstrictcharacter,howeveradmirablysatirical,thataftergoingtoschoolhimself,heshouldthengoabroadinculcatingnotwhathelearnedthere,butthefollyofit.
Histitle,schoolmaster,wouldverynaturallyseemderivedfromthenamebestowedupontheharemitself,butsomehavesurmisedthatthemanwhofirstthusentitledthissortofOttomanwhale,musthavereadthememoirsofVidocq,andinformedhimselfwhatsortofacountry-schoolmasterthatfamousFrenchmanwasinhisyoungerdays,andwhatwasthenatureofthoseoccultlessonsheinculcatedintosomeofhispupils.
Thesamesecludednessandisolationtowhichtheschoolmasterwhalebetakeshimselfinhisadvancingyears,istrueofallagedSpermWhales.
Likevenerablemoss-beardedDanielBoone,hewillhavenoonenearhimbutNatureherself;andherhetakestowifeinthewildernessofwaters,andthebestofwivessheis,thoughshekeepssomanymoodysecrets.
Theschoolscomposingnonebutyoungandvigorousmales,previouslymentioned,offerastrongcontrasttotheharemschools.
Forwhilethosefemalesarecharacteristicallytimid,theyoungmales,orforty-barrel-bulls,astheycallthem,arebyfarthemostpugnaciousofallLeviathans,andproverbiallythemostdangeroustoencounter;exceptingthosewondrousgrey-headed,grizzledwhales,sometimesmet,andthesewillfightyoulikegrimfiendsexasperatedbyapenalgout.
Likeamobofyoungcollegians,theyarefulloffight,fun,andwickedness,tumblingroundtheworldatsuchareckless,rollickingrate,thatnoprudentunderwriterwouldinsurethemanymorethanhewouldariotousladatYaleorHarvard.
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