CHAPTER77TheGreatHeidelburghTun

nowcomesthebalingofthecase.buttocomprehenditaright,youmustknowsomethingofthecuriousinternalstructureofthethingoperatedupon.

regardingthespermwhale'sheadasasolidoblong,youmay,onaninclinedplane,sidewaysdivideitintotwoquoins,[1]whereoftheloweristhebonystructure,formingthecraniumandjaws,andtheupperanunctuousmasswhollyfreefrombones;itsbroadforwardendformingtheexpandedverticalapparentforeheadofthewhale.atthemiddleoftheforeheadhorizontallysubdividethisupperquoin,andthenyouhavetwoalmostequalparts,whichbeforewerenaturallydividedbyaninternalwallofathicktendinoussubstance.

thelowersubdividedpart,calledthejunk,isoneimmensehoneycombofoil,formedbythecrossingandrecrossing,intotenthousandinfiltratedcells,oftoughelasticwhitefibresthroughoutitswholeextent.theupperpart,knownasthecase,mayberegardedasthegreatheidelburghtunofthespermwhale.andasthatfamousgreattierceismysticallycarvedinfront,sothewhale'svastplaitedforeheadformsinnumerablestrangedevicesfortheemblematicaladornmentofhiswondroustun.moreover,asthatofheidelburghwasalwaysreplenishedwiththemostexcellentofthewinesoftherhenishvalleys,sothetunofthewhalecontainsbyfarthemostpreciousofallhisoilyvintages;namely,thehighlyprizedspermaceti,initsabsolutelypure,limpid,andodoriferousstate.noristhisprecioussubstancefoundunalloyedinanyotherpartofthecreature.thoughinlifeitremainsperfectlyfluid,yet,uponexposuretotheair,afterdeath,itsoonbeginstoconcrete;sendingforthbeautifulcrystallineshoots,aswhenthefirstthindelicateiceisjustforminginwater.alargewhale'scasegenerallyyieldsaboutfivehundredgallonsofsperm,thoughfromunavoidablecircumstances,considerableofitisspilled,leaks,anddribblesaway,orisotherwiseirrevocablylostintheticklishbusinessofsecuringwhatyoucan.

iknownotwithwhatfineandcostlymaterialtheheidelburghtunwascoatedwithin,butinsuperlativerichnessthatcoatingcouldnotpossiblyhavecomparedwiththesilkenpearl-colouredmembrane,liketheliningofafinepelisse,formingtheinnersurfaceofthespermwhale'scase.

itwillhavebeenseenthattheheidelburghtunofthespermwhaleembracestheentirelengthoftheentiretopofthehead;andsince—ashasbeenelsewheresetforth—theheadembracesonethirdofthewholelengthofthecreature,thensettingthatlengthdownateightyfeetforagoodsizedwhale,youhavemorethantwenty-sixfeetforthedepthofthetun,whenitislengthwisehoistedupanddownagainstaship'sside.

asindecapitatingthewhale,theoperator'sinstrumentisbroughtclosetothespotwhereanentranceissubsequentlyforcedintothespermacetimagazine;hehas,therefore,tobeuncommonlyheedful,lestacareless,untimelystrokeshouldinvadethesanctuaryandwastinglyletoutitsinvaluablecontents.itisthisdecapitatedendofthehead,also,whichisatlastelevatedoutofthewater,andretainedinthatpositionbytheenormouscuttingtackles,whosehempencombinations,ononeside,makequiteawildernessofropesinthatquarter.

thusmuchbeingsaid,attendnow,iprayyou,tothatmarvellousand—inthisparticularinstance—almostfataloperationwherebythespermwhale'sgreatheidelburghtunistapped.

[1]quoinisnotaeuclideanterm.itbelongstothepurenauticalmathematics.iknownotthatithasbeendefinedbefore.aquoinisasolidwhichdiffersfromawedgeinhavingitssharpendformedbythesteepinclinationofoneside,insteadofthemutualtaperingofbothsides.