CHAPTER88SchoolsandSchoolmasters

thepreviouschaptergaveaccountofanimmensebodyorherdofspermwhales,andtherewasalsothengiventheprobablecauseinducingthosevastaggregations.

now,thoughsuchgreatbodiesareattimesencountered,yet,asmusthavebeenseen,evenatthepresentday,smalldetachedbandsareoccasionallyobserved,embracingfromtwentytofiftyindividualseach.suchbandsareknownasschools.theygenerallyareoftwosorts;thosecomposedalmostentirelyoffemales,andthosemusteringnonebutyoungvigorousmales,orbulls,astheyarefamiliarlydesignated.

incavalierattendanceupontheschooloffemales,youinvariablyseeamaleoffullgrownmagnitude,butnotold;who,uponanyalarm,evinceshisgallantrybyfallingintherearandcoveringtheflightofhisladies.intruth,thisgentlemanisaluxuriousottoman,swimmingaboutoverthewateryworld,surroundinglyaccompaniedbyallthesolacesandendearmentsoftheharem.thecontrastbetweenthisottomanandhisconcubinesisstriking;because,whileheisalwaysofthelargestleviathanicproportions,theladies,evenatfullgrowth,arenotmorethanone-thirdofthebulkofanaverage-sizedmale.theyarecomparativelydelicate,indeed;idaresay,nottoexceedhalfadozenyardsroundthewaist.nevertheless,itcannotbedenied,thatuponthewholetheyarehereditarilyentitledtoenbonpoint.

itisverycurioustowatchthisharemanditslordintheirindolentramblings.likefashionables,theyareforeveronthemoveinleisurelysearchofvariety.youmeetthemonthelineintimeforthefullfloweroftheequatorialfeedingseason,havingjustreturned,perhaps,fromspendingthesummerinthenorthernseas,andsocheatingsummerofallunpleasantwearinessandwarmth.bythetimetheyhaveloungedupanddownthepromenadeoftheequatorawhile,theystartfortheorientalwatersinanticipationofthecoolseasonthere,andsoevadetheotherexcessivetemperatureoftheyear.

whenserenelyadvancingononeofthesejourneys,ifanystrangesuspicioussightsareseen,mylordwhalekeepsawaryeyeonhisinterestingfamily.shouldanyunwarrantablypertyoungleviathancomingthatway,presumetodrawconfidentiallyclosetooneoftheladies,withwhatprodigiousfurythebashawassailshim,andchaseshimaway!hightimes,indeed,ifunprincipledyoungrakeslikehimaretobepermittedtoinvadethesanctityofdomesticbliss;thoughdowhatthebashawwill,hecannotkeepthemostnotoriouslothariooutofhisbed;for,alas!allfishbedincommon.asashore,theladiesoftencausethemostterribleduelsamongtheirrivaladmirers;justsowiththewhales,whosometimescometodeadlybattle,andallforlove.theyfencewiththeirlonglowerjaws,sometimeslockingthemtogether,andsostrivingforthesupremacylikeelksthatwarringlyinterweavetheirantlers.notafewarecapturedhavingthedeepscarsoftheseencounters,—furrowedheads,brokenteeth,scollopedfins;andinsomeinstances,wrenchedanddislocatedmouths.

butsupposingtheinvaderofdomesticblisstobetakehimselfawayatthefirstrushoftheharem'slord,thenisitverydivertingtowatchthatlord.gentlyheinsinuateshisvastbulkamongthemagainandrevelsthereawhile,stillintantalizingvicinitytoyounglothario,likepioussolomondevoutlyworshippingamonghisthousandconcubines.grantingotherwhalestobeinsight,thefishermenwillseldomgivechasetooneofthesegrandturks;forthesegrandturksaretoolavishoftheirstrength,andhencetheirunctuousnessissmall.asforthesonsandthedaughterstheybeget,why,thosesonsanddaughtersmusttakecareofthemselves;atleast,withonlythematernalhelp.forlikecertainotheromnivorousrovingloversthatmightbenamed,mylordwhalehasnotasteforthenursery,howevermuchforthebower;andso,beingagreattraveller,heleaveshisanonymousbabiesallovertheworld;everybabyanexotic.ingoodtime,nevertheless,astheardourofyouthdeclines;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.almostuniversally,alonewhale—asasolitaryleviathaniscalled—provesanancientone.likevenerablemossbeardeddanielboone,hewillhavenoonenearhimbutnatureherself;andherhetakestowifeinthewildernessofwaters,andthebestofwivessheis,thoughshekeepssomanymoodysecrets.

theschoolscomposingnonebutyoungandvigorousmales,previouslymentioned,offerastrongcontrasttotheharemschools.forwhilethosefemalewhalesarecharacteristicallytimid,theyoungmales,orforty-barrel-bulls,astheycallthem,arebyfarthemostpugnaciousofallleviathans,andproverbiallythemostdangeroustoencounter;exceptingthosewondrousgrey-headed,grizzledwhales,sometimesmet,andthesewillfightyoulikegrimfiendsexasperatebyapenalgout.

theforty-barrel-bullschoolsarelargerthantheharemschools.likeamobofyoungcollegians,theyarefulloffight,fun,andwickedness,tumblingroundtheworldatsuchareckless,rollickingrate,thatnoprudentunderwriterwouldinsurethemanymorethanhewouldariotousladatyaleorharvard.theysoonrelinquishthisturbulencethough,andwhenaboutthree-fourthsgrown,breakup,andseparatelygoaboutinquestofsettlements,thatis,harems.

anotherpointofdifferencebetweenthemaleandfemaleschoolsisstillmorecharacteristicofthesexes.sayyoustrikeaforty-barrel-bull—poordevil!allhiscomradesquithim.butstrikeamemberoftheharemschool,andhercompanionsswimaroundherwitheverytokenofconcern,sometimeslingeringsonearherandsolong,asthemselvestofallaprey.