CHAPTER83JonahHistoricallyRegarded

referencewasmadetothehistoricalstoryofjonahandthewhaleintheprecedingchapter.nowsomenantucketersratherdistrustthishistoricalstoryofjonahandthewhale.butthenthereweresomescepticalgreeksandromans,who,standingoutfromtheorthodoxpagansoftheirtimes,equallydoubtedthestoryofherculesandthewhale,andarionandthedolphin;andyettheirdoubtingthosetraditionsdidnotmakethosetraditionsonewhitthelessfacts,forallthat.

oneoldsag-harborwhaleman'schiefreasonforquestioningthehebrewstorywasthis:—hehadoneofthosequaintold-fashionedbibles,embellishedwithcurious,unscientificplates;oneofwhichrepresentedjonah'swhalewithtwospoutsinhishead—apeculiarityonlytruewithrespecttoaspeciesoftheleviathan(therightwhale,andthevarietiesofthatorder),concerningwhichthefishermenhavethissaying,"apennyrollwouldchokehim";hisswallowissoverysmall.but,tothis,bishopjebb'santicipativeanswerisready.itisnotnecessary,hintsthebishop,thatweconsiderjonahastombedinthewhale'sbelly,butastemporarilylodgedinsomepartofhismouth.andthisseemsreasonableenoughinthegoodbishop.fortruly,therightwhale'smouthwouldaccommodateacoupleofwhist-tables,andcomfortablyseatalltheplayers.possibly,too,jonahmighthaveensconcedhimselfinahollowtooth;but,onsecondthoughts,therightwhaleistoothless.

anotherreasonwhichsag-harbor(hewentbythatname)urgedforhiswantoffaithinthismatteroftheprophet,wassomethingobscurelyinreferencetohisincarceratedbodyandthewhale'sgastricjuices.butthisobjectionlikewisefallstotheground,becauseagermanexegetistsupposesthatjonahmusthavetakenrefugeinthefloatingbodyofadeadwhale—evenasthefrenchsoldiersintherussiancampaignturnedtheirdeadhorsesintotents,andcrawledintothem.besides,ithasbeendivinedbyothercontinentalcommentators,thatwhenjonahwasthrownoverboardfromthejoppaship,hestraightwayeffectedhisescapetoanothervesselnearby,somevesselwithawhaleforafigure-head;and,iwouldadd,possiblycalled"thewhale,"assomecraftarenowadayschristenedthe"shark,"the"gull,"the"eagle."norhavetherebeenwantinglearnedexegetistswhohaveopinedthatthewhalementionedinthebookofjonahmerelymeantalife-preserver—aninflatedbagofwind—whichtheendangeredprophetswamto,andsowassavedfromawaterydoom.poorsag-harbor,therefore,seemsworstedallround.buthehadstillanotherreasonforhiswantoffaith.itwasthis,ifirememberright:jonahwasswallowedbythewhaleinthemediterraneansea,andafterthreedayshewasvomitedupsomewherewithinthreedays'journeyofnineveh,acityonthetigris,verymuchmorethanthreedays'journeyacrossfromthenearestpointofthemediterraneancoast.howisthat?

butwastherenootherwayforthewhaletolandtheprophetwithinthatshortdistanceofnineveh?yes.hemighthavecarriedhimroundbythewayofthecapeofgoodhope.butnottospeakofthepassagethroughthewholelengthofthemediterranean,andanotherpassageupthepersiangulfandredsea,suchasuppositionwouldinvolvethecompletecircumnavigationofallafricainthreedays,nottospeakofthetigriswaters,nearthesiteofnineveh,beingtooshallowforanywhaletoswimin.besides,thisideaofjonah'sweatheringthecapeofgoodhopeatsoearlyadaywouldwrestthehonorofthediscoveryofthatgreatheadlandfrombartholomewdiaz,itsreputeddiscoverer,andsomakemodernhistoryaliar.

butallthesefoolishargumentsofoldsag-harboronlyevincedhisfoolishprideofreason—athingstillmorereprehensibleinhim,seeingthathehadbutlittlelearningexceptwhathehadpickedupfromthesunandthesea.isayitonlyshowshisfoolish,impiouspride,andabominable,devilishrebellionagainstthereverendclergy.forbyaportuguesecatholicpriest,thisveryideaofjonah'sgoingtoninevehviathecapeofgoodhopewasadvancedasasignalmagnificationofthegeneralmiracle.andsoitwas.besides,tothisday,thehighlyenlightenedturksdevoutlybelieveinthehistoricalstoryofjonah.andsomethreecenturiesago,anenglishtravellerinoldharris'svoyages,speaksofaturkishmosquebuiltinhonorofjonah,inwhichmosquewasamiraculouslampthatburntwithoutanyoil.