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Hitherto,indescriptivelytreatingoftheSpermWhale,Ihavechieflydweltuponthemarvelsofhisouteraspect;orseparatelyandindetailuponsomefewinteriorstructuralfeatures.
Buttoalargeandthoroughsweepingcomprehensionofhim,itbehoovesmenowtounbuttonhimstillfurther,anduntaggingthepointsofhishose,unbucklinghisgarters,andcastingloosethehooksandtheeyesofthejointsofhisinnermostbones,sethimbeforeyouinhisultimatum;thatistosay,inhisunconditionalskeleton.
Buthownow,Ishmael?Howisit,thatyou,amereoarsmaninthefishery,pretendtoknowaughtaboutthesubterraneanpartsofthewhale?
DideruditeStubb,mounteduponyourcapstan,deliverlecturesontheanatomyoftheCetacea;andbyhelpofthewindlass,holdupaspecimenribforexhibition?Explainthyself,Ishmael.
Canyoulandafull-grownwhaleonyourdeckforexamination,asacookdishesaroast-pig?Surelynot.
Averitablewitnesshaveyouhithertobeen,Ishmael;buthaveacarehowyouseizetheprivilegeofJonahalone;theprivilegeofdiscoursinguponthejoistsandbeams;therafters,ridge-pole,sleepers,andunder-pinnings,makinguptheframe-workofleviathan;andbelikeofthetallow-vats,dairy-rooms,butteries,andcheeseriesinhisbowels.
Iconfess,thatsinceJonah,fewwhalemenhavepenetratedveryfarbeneaththeskinoftheadultwhale;nevertheless,Ihavebeenblessedwithanopportunitytodissecthiminminiature.
InashipIbelongedto,asmallcubSpermWhalewasoncebodilyhoistedtothedeckforhispokeorbag,tomakesheathsforthebarbsoftheharpoons,andfortheheadsofthelances.
ThinkyouIletthechancego,withoutusingmyboat-hatchetandjack-knife,andbreakingthesealandreadingallthecontentsofthatyoungcub?
Andasformyexactknowledgeofthebonesoftheleviathanintheirgigantic,fullgrowndevelopment,forthatrareknowledgeIamindebtedtomylateroyalfriendTranque,kingofTranque,oneoftheArsacides.
ForbeingatTranque,yearsago,whenattachedtothetrading-shipDeyofAlgiers,IwasinvitedtospendpartoftheArsacideanholidayswiththelordofTranque,athisretiredpalmvillaatPupella;asea-sideglennotveryfardistantfromwhatoursailorscalledBamboo-Town,hiscapital.
Amongmanyotherfinequalities,myroyalfriendTranquo,beinggiftedwithadevoutloveforallmattersofbarbaricvertu,hadbroughttogetherinPupellawhateverrarethingsthemoreingeniousofhispeoplecouldinvent;chieflycarvedwoodsofwonderfuldevices,chiselledshells,inlaidspears,costlypaddles,aromaticcanoes;andallthesedistributedamongwhatevernaturalwonders,thewonder-freighted,tribute-renderingwaveshadcastuponhisshores.
ChiefamongtheselatterwasagreatSpermWhale,which,afteranunusuallylongraginggale,hadbeenfounddeadandstranded,withhisheadagainstacocoa-nuttree,whoseplumage-like,tufteddroopingsseemedhisverdantjet.
Whenthevastbodyhadatlastbeenstrippedofitsfathomdeepenfoldings,andthebonesbecomedustdryinthesun,thentheskeletonwascarefullytransportedupthePupellaglen,whereagrandtempleoflordlypalmsnowshelteredit.
Theribswerehungwithtrophies;thevertebraewerecarvedwithArsacideanannals,instrangehieroglyphics;intheskull,thepriestskeptupanunextinguishedaromaticflame,sothatthemysticheadagainsentforthitsvaporyspout;while,suspendedfromabough,theterrificlowerjawvibratedoverallthedevotees,likethehair-hungswordthatsoaffrightedDamocles.
Itwasawondroussight.ThewoodwasgreenasmossesoftheIcyGlen;thetreesstoodhighandhaughty,feelingtheirlivingsap;theindustriousearthbeneathwasasaweaver’sloom,withagorgeouscarpetonit,whereoftheground-vinetendrilsformedthewarpandwoof,andthelivingflowersthefigures.
Allthetrees,withalltheirladenbranches;alltheshrubs,andferns,andgrasses;themessage-carryingair;alltheseunceasinglywereactive.
Throughthelacingsoftheleaves,thegreatsunseemedaflyingshuttleweavingtheunweariedverdure.Oh,busyweaver!unseenweaver!-pause!-oneword!-whitherflowsthefabric?whatpalacemayitdeck?whereforealltheseceaselesstoilings?Speak,weaver!-staythyhand!-butonesinglewordwiththee!
Nay-theshuttleflies-thefiguresfloatfromforththeloom;thefresher-rushingcarpetforeverslidesaway.
Theweaver-god,heweaves;andbythatweavingishedeafened,thathehearsnomortalvoice;andbythathumming,we,too,wholookontheloomaredeafened;andonlywhenweescapeitshallwehearthethousandvoicesthatspeakthroughit.
Forevensoitisinallmaterialfactories.
Thespokenwordsthatareinaudibleamongtheflyingspindles;thosesamewordsareplainlyheardwithoutthewalls,burstingfromtheopenedcasements.Therebyhavevillainiesbeendetected.Ah,mortal!
then,beheedful;forso,inallthisdinofthegreatworld’sloom,thysubtlestthinkingsmaybeoverheardafar.
Now,amidthegreen,life-restlessloomofthatArsacideanwood,thegreat,white,worshippedskeletonlaylounging-agiganticidler!
Yet,astheever-wovenverdantwarpandwoofintermixedandhummedaroundhim,themightyidlerseemedthesunningweaver;himselfallwovenoverwiththevines;everymonthassuminggreener,fresherverdure;buthimselfaskeleton.
LifefoldedDeath;DeathtrellisedLife;thegrimgodwivedwithyouthfulLife,andbegathimcurly-headedglories.
Now,whenwithroyalTranquoIvisitedthiswondrouswhale,andsawtheskullanaltar,andtheartificialsmokeascendingfromwheretherealjethadissued,Imarvelledthatthekingshouldregardachapelasanobjectofvertu.Helaughed.
ButmoreImarvelledthatthepriestsshouldswearthatsmokyjetofhiswasgenuine.
ToandfroIpacedbeforethisskeleton-brushedthevineaside-brokethroughtheribs-andwithaballofArsacideantwine,wandered,eddiedlongamiditsmanywinding,shadedcolonnadesandarbors.
Butsoonmylinewasout;andfollowingback,IemergedfromtheopeningwhereIentered.
Isawnolivingthingwithin;naughtwastherebutbones.
Cuttingmeagreenmeasuring-rod,Ioncemoredivedwithintheskeleton.
Fromtheirarrow-slitintheskull,thepriestsperceivedmetakingthealtitudeofthefinalrib,“Hownow!”
theyshouted;“Dar’stthoumeasurethisourgod!That’sforus.”
“Aye,priests-well,howlongdoyemakehim,then?”
Buthereuponafiercecontestroseamongthem,concerningfeetandinches;theycrackedeachother’ssconceswiththeiryard-sticks-thegreatskullechoed-andseizingthatluckychance,Iquicklyconcludedmyownadmeasurements.
TheseadmeasurementsInowproposetosetbeforeyou.
Butfirst,beitrecorded,that,inthismatter,IamnotfreetoutteranyfanciedmeasurementsIplease.
Becausethereareskeletonauthoritiesyoucanreferto,totestmyaccuracy.
ThereisaLeviathanicMuseum,theytellme,inHull,England,oneofthewhalingportsofthatcountry,wheretheyhavesomefinespecimensoffin-backsandotherwhales.
Likewise,haveheardthatinthemuseumofManchester,inNewHampshire,theyhavewhattheproprietorscall“theonlyperfectspecimenofaGreenlandorRiverWhaleintheUnitedStates.”
Moreover,ataplaceinYorkshire,England,BurtonConstablebyname,acertainSirCliffordConstablehasinhispossessiontheskeletonofaSpermWhale,butofmoderatesize,bynomeansofthefull-grownmagnitudeofmyfriendKingTranquo’s.
Inbothcases,thestrandedwhalestowhichthesetwoskeletonsbelonged,wereoriginallyclaimedbytheirproprietorsuponsimilargrounds.
KingTranquoseizinghisbecausehewantedit;andSirClifford,becausehewaslordoftheseignoriesofthoseparts.
SirClifford’swhalehasbeenarticulatedthroughout;sothat,likeagreatchestofdrawers,youcanopenandshuthim,inallhisbonycavities-spreadouthisribslikeagiganticfan-andswingalldayuponhislowerjaw.
Locksaretobeputuponsomeofhistrap-doorsandshutters;andafootmanwillshowroundfuturevisitorswithabunchofkeysathisside.
SirCliffordthinksofchargingtwopenceforapeepatthewhisperinggalleryinthespinalcolumn;threepencetoheartheechointhehollowofhiscerebellum;andsixpencefortheunrivalledviewfromhisforehead.
TheskeletondimensionsIshallnowproceedtosetdownarecopiedverbatimfrommyrightarm,whereIhadthemtattooed;asinmywildwanderingsatthatperiod,therewasnoothersecurewayofpreservingsuchvaluablestatistics.
ButasIwascrowdedforspace,andwishedtheotherpartsofmybodytoremainablankpageforapoemIwasthencomposing-atleast,whatuntattooedpartsmightremain-Ididnottroublemyselfwiththeoddinches;nor,indeed,shouldinchesatallenterintoacongenialadmeasurementofthewhale.
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