EretheEnglishshipfadesfromsightbeitsetdownhere,thatshehailedfromLondon,andwasnamedafterthelateSamuelEnderby,merchantofthatcity,theoriginalofthefamouswhalinghouseofEnderby&Sons;ahousewhichinmypoorwhaleman’sopinion,comesnotfarbehindtheunitedroyalhousesoftheTudorsandBourbons,inpointofrealhistoricalinterest.
Howlong,priortotheyearofourLord1775,thisgreatwhalinghousewasinexistence,mynumerousfish-documentsdonotmakeplain;butinthatyear(1775)itfittedoutthefirstEnglishshipsthateverregularlyhuntedtheSpermWhale;thoughforsomescoreofyearsprevious(eversince1726)ourvaliantCoffinsandMaceysofNantucketandtheVineyardhadinlargefleetspursuedtheLeviathan,butonlyintheNorthandSouthAtlantic:notelsewhere.
Beitdistinctlyrecordedhere,thattheNantucketerswerethefirstamongmankindtoharpoonwithcivilizedsteelthegreatSpermWhale;andthatforhalfacenturytheyweretheonlypeopleofthewholeglobewhosoharpoonedhim.
In1778,afineship,theAmelia,fittedoutfortheexpresspurpose,andatthesolechargeofthevigorousEnderbys,boldlyroundedCapeHorn,andwasthefirstamongthenationstolowerawhale-boatofanysortinthegreatSouthSea.
Thevoyagewasaskilfulandluckyone;andreturningtoherberthwithherholdfulloftheprecioussperm,theAmelia’sexamplewassoonfollowedbyotherships,EnglishandAmerican,andthusthevastSpermWhalegroundsofthePacificwerethrownopen.
Butnotcontentwiththisgooddeed,theindefatigablehouseagainbestirreditself:SamuelandallhisSons-howmany,theirmotheronlyknows-andundertheirimmediateauspices,andpartly,Ithink,attheirexpense,theBritishgovernmentwasinducedtosendthesloop-of-warRattleronawhalingvoyageofdiscoveryintotheSouthSea.
CommandedbyanavalPost-Captain,theRattlermadearattlingvoyageofit,anddidsomeservice;howmuchdoesnotappear.Butthisisnotall.
In1819,thesamehousefittedoutadiscoverywhaleshipoftheirown,togoonatastingcruisetotheremotewatersofJapan.
Thatship-wellcalledthe“Syren”-madeanobleexperimentalcruise;anditwasthusthatthegreatJapaneseWhalingGroundfirstbecamegenerallyknown.
AllhonortotheEnderbies,therefore,whosehouse,Ithink,existstothepresentday;thoughdoubtlesstheoriginalSamuelmustlongagohaveslippedhiscableforthegreatSouthSeaoftheotherworld.
AndthatfinegamIhad-long,verylongafteroldAhabtouchedherplankswithhisivoryheel-itmindsmeofthenoble,solid,Saxonhospitalityofthatship;andmaymyparsonforgetme,andthedevilrememberme,ifIeverlosesightofit.Flip?DidIsaywehadflip?
Yes,andweflippeditattherateoftengallonsthehour;andwhenthesquallcame(forit’ssquallyofftherebyPatagonia),andallhands-visitorsandall-werecalledtoreeftopsails,weweresotop-heavythatwehadtoswingeachotheraloftinbowlines;andweignorantlyfurledtheskirtsofourjacketsintothesails,sothatwehungthere,reefedfastinthehowlinggale,awarningexampletoalldrunkentars.
However,themastsdidnotgooverboard;andbyandbywescrambleddown,sosober,thatwehadtopasstheflipagain,thoughthesavagesaltsprayburstingdowntheforecastlescuttle,rathertoomuchdilutedandpickleditformytaste.
Thebread-butthatcouldn’tbehelped;besides,itwasananti-scorbutic,inshort,thebreadcontainedtheonlyfreshfaretheyhad.
Butallinall,takingherfromtrucktohelm,consideringthedimensionsofthecook’sboilers,includinghisownliveparchmentboilers;foreandaft,Isay,theSamuelEnderbywasajollyship;ofgoodfareandplenty;fineflipandstrong;crackfellowsall,andcapitalfrombootheelstohat-band.
Butwhywasit,thinkye,thattheSamuelEnderby,andsomeotherEnglishwhalersIknowof-notallthough-weresuchfamous,hospitableships;thatpassedroundthebeef,andthebread,andthecan,andthejoke;andwerenotsoonwearyofeating,anddrinking,andlaughing?Iwilltellyou.
TheEnglishwereprecededinthewhalefisherybytheHollanders,Zealanders,andDanes;fromwhomtheyderivedmanytermsstillextantinthefishery;andwhatisyetmore,theirfatoldfashions,touchingplentytoeatanddrink.
Hence,intheEnglish,thisthingofwhalinggoodcheerisnotnormalandnatural,butincidentalandparticular;and,therefore,musthavesomespecialorigin,whichisherepointedout,andwillbestillfurtherelucidated.
DuringmyresearchesintheLeviathanichistories,IstumbleduponanancientDutchvolume,which,bythemustywhalingsmellofit,Iknewmustbeaboutwhalers.
Thetitlewas,“DanCoopman,”whereforeIconcludedthatthismustbetheinvaluablememoirsofsomeAmsterdamcooperinthefishery,aseverywhaleshipmustcarryitscooper.
ButmyfriendDr.Snodhead,averylearnedman,professorofLowDutchandHighGermaninthecollegeofSantaClausandSt.Potts,towhomIhandedtheworkfortranslation,givinghimaboxofspermcandlesforhistrouble-thissameDr.Snodhead,sosoonashespiedthebook,assuredmethat“DanCoopman”didnotmean“TheCooper,”but“TheMerchant.”
Inshort,thisancientandlearnedLowDutchbooktreatedofthecommerceofHolland;and,amongothersubjects,containedaveryinterestingaccountofitswhalefishery.
Andinthischapteritwas,headed,“Smeer,”or“Fat,”thatIfoundalongdetailedlistoftheoutfitsforthelardersandcellarsof180sailofDutchwhalemen;fromwhichlist,astranslatedbyDr.Snodhead,Itranscribethefollowing:
Moststatisticaltablesareparchinglydryinthereading;notsointhepresentcase,however,wherethereaderisfloodedwithwholepipes,barrels,quarts,andgillsofgoodginandgoodcheer.
Atthetime,Idevotedthreedaystothestudiousdigestingofallthisbeer,beef,andbread,duringwhichmanyprofoundthoughtswereincidentallysuggestedtome,capableofatranscendentalandPlatonicapplication;and,furthermore,Icompiledsupplementarytablesofmyown,touchingtheprobablequantityofstock-fish,&c.,consumedbyeveryLowDutchharpooneerinthatancientGreenlandandSpitzbergenwhalefishery.
Iimputeit,though,totheirnaturallyunctuousnatures,beingrenderedstillmoreunctuousbythenatureoftheirvocation,andespeciallybytheirpursuingtheirgameinthosefrigidPolarSeas,ontheverycoastsofthatEsquimauxcountrywheretheconvivialnativespledgeeachotherinbumpersoftrainoil.
Now,asthosepolarfisheriescouldonlybeprosecutedintheshortsummerofthatclimate,sothatthewholecruiseofoneoftheseDutchwhalemen,includingtheshortvoyagetoandfromtheSpitzbergensea,didnotmuchexceedthreemonths,say,andreckoning30mentoeachoftheirfleetof180sail,wehave5,400LowDutchseameninall;therefore,Isay,wehavepreciselytwobarrelsofbeerperman,foratwelveweeks’allowance,exclusiveofhisfairproportionofthatankersofgin.
Now,whethertheseginandbeerharpooneers,sofuddledasonemightfancythemtohavebeen,weretherightsortofmentostandupinaboat’shead,andtakegoodaimatflyingwhales;thiswouldseemsomewhatimprobable.
ButthiswasveryfarNorth,beitremembered,wherebeeragreeswellwiththeconstitution;upontheEquator,inoursouthernfishery,beerwouldbeapttomaketheharpooneersleepyatthemast-headandboozyinhisboat;andgrievouslossmightensuetoNantucketandNewBedford.
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