CHAPTER75TheRightWhale'sHead—Contra

crossingthedeck,letusnowhaveagoodlonglookattherightwhale'shead.

asingeneralshapethenoblespermwhale'sheadmaybecomparedtoaromanwar-chariot(especiallyinfront,whereitissobroadlyrounded);so,atabroadview,therightwhale'sheadbearsaratherinelegantresemblancetoagiganticgalliot-toedshoe.twohundredyearsagoanolddutchvoyagerlikeneditsshapetothatofashoemaker'slast.andinthissamelastorshoe,thatoldwomanofthenurserytale,withtheswarmingbrood,mightverycomfortablybelodged,sheandallherprogeny.

butasyoucomenearertothisgreatheaditbeginstoassumedifferentaspects,accordingtoyourpointofview.ifyoustandonitssummitandlookatthesetwof-shapedspoutholes,youwouldtakethewholeheadforanenormousbass-viol,andthesespiracles,theaperturesinitssounding-board.then,again,ifyoufixyoureyeuponthisstrange,crested,comblikeincrustationonthetopofthemass—thisgreen,barnacledthing,whichthegreenlanderscallthe"crown,"andthesouthernfishersthe"bonnet"oftherightwhale;fixingyoureyessolelyonthis,youwouldtaketheheadforthetrunkofsomehugeoak,withabird'snestinitscrotch.atanyrate,whenyouwatchthoselivecrabsthatnestlehereonthisbonnet,suchanideawillbealmostsuretooccurtoyou;unless,indeed,yourfancyhasbeenfixedbythetechnicalterm"crown"alsobestoweduponit;inwhichcaseyouwilltakegreatinterestinthinkinghowthismightymonsterisactuallyadiademedkingofthesea,whosegreencrownhasbeenputtogetherforhiminthismarvellousmanner.butifthiswhalebeaking,heisaverysulkylookingfellowtograceadiadem.lookatthathanginglowerlip!whatahugesulkandpoutisthere!asulkandpout,bycarpenter'smeasurement,abouttwentyfeetlongandfivefeetdeep;asulkandpoutthatwillyieldyousome500gallonsofoilandmore.

agreatpity,now,thatthisunfortunatewhaleshouldbehare-lipped.thefissureisaboutafootacross.probablythemotherduringanimportantintervalwassailingdowntheperuviancoast,whenearthquakescausedthebeachtogape.overthislip,asoveraslipperythreshold,wenowslideintothemouth.uponmywordwereiatmackinaw,ishouldtakethistobetheinsideofanindianwigwam.goodlord!isthistheroadthatjonahwent?theroofisabouttwelvefeethigh,andrunstoaprettysharpangle,asiftherewerearegularridge-polethere;whiletheseribbed,arched,hairysides,presentuswiththosewondrous,halfvertical,scimetar-shapedslatsofwhalebone,saythreehundredonaside,whichdependingfromtheupperpartoftheheadorcrownbone,formthosevenetianblindswhichhaveelsewherebeencursorilymentioned.theedgesofthesebonesarefringedwithhairyfibres,throughwhichtherightwhalestrainsthewater,andinwhoseintricaciesheretainsthesmallfish,whenopenmouthedhegoesthroughtheseasofbritinfeedingtime.inthecentralblindsofbone,astheystandintheirnaturalorder,therearecertaincuriousmarks,curves,hollows,andridges,wherebysomewhalemencalculatethecreature'sage,astheageofanoakbyitscircularrings.thoughthecertaintyofthiscriterionisfarfromdemonstrable,yetithasthesavorofanalogicalprobability.atanyrate,ifweyieldtoit,wemustgrantafargreateragetotherightwhalethanatfirstglancewillseemreasonable.

inoldtimes,thereseemtohaveprevailedthemostcuriousfanciesconcerningtheseblinds.onevoyagerinpurchascallsthemthewondrous"whiskers"insideofthewhale'smouth;[1]another,"hogs'bristles";athirdoldgentlemaninhackluytusesthefollowingelegantlanguage:"thereareabouttwohundredandfiftyfingrowingoneachsideofhisupperchop,whicharchoverhistongueoneachsideofhismouth."

aseveryoneknows,thesesame"hogs'bristles,""fins,""whiskers,""blinds,"orwhateveryouplease,furnishtotheladiestheirbusksandotherstiffeningcontrivances.butinthisparticular,thedemandhaslongbeenonthedecline.itwasinqueenanne'stimethatthebonewasinitsglory,thefarthingalebeingthenallthefashion.andasthoseancientdamesmovedaboutgaily,thoughinthejawsofthewhale,asyoumaysay;evenso,inashower,withthelikethoughtlessness,dowenowadaysflyunderthesamejawsforprotection;theumbrellabeingatentspreadoverthesamebone.

butnowforgetallaboutblindsandwhiskersforamoment,and,standingintherightwhale'smouth,lookaroundyouafresh.seeingallthesecolonnadesofbonesomethodicallyrangedabout,wouldyounotthinkyouwereinsideofthegreathaarlemorgan,andgazinguponitsthousandpipes?foracarpettotheorganwehavearugofthesoftestturkey—thetongue,whichisglued,asitwere,tothefloorofthemouth.itisveryfatandtender,andapttotearinpiecesinhoistingitondeck.thisparticulartonguenowbeforeus;atapassingglanceishouldsayitwasasixbarreler;thatis,itwillyieldyouaboutthatamountofoil.

erethis,youmusthaveplainlyseenthetruthofwhatistartedwith—thatthespermwhaleandtherightwhalehavealmostentirelydifferentheads.tosumup,then:intherightwhale'sthereisnogreatwellofsperm;noivoryteethatall;nolong,slendermandibleofalowerjaw,likethespermwhale's.norinthespermwhalearethereanyofthoseblindsofbone;nohugelowerlip;andscarcelyanythingofatongue.again,therightwhalehastwoexternalspout-holes,thespermwhaleonlyone.

lookyourlast,now,onthesevenerablehoodedheads,whiletheyyetlietogether;foronewillsoonsink,unrecorded,inthesea;theotherwillnotbeverylonginfollowing.

canyoucatchtheexpressionofthespermwhale'sthere?itisthesamehediedwith,onlysomeofthelongerwrinklesintheforeheadseemnowfadedaway.ithinkhisbroadbrowtobefullofaprairielikeplacidity,bornofaspeculativeindifferenceastodeath.butmarktheotherhead'sexpression.seethatamazinglowerlip,pressedbyaccidentagainstthevessel'sside,soasfirmlytoembracethejaw.doesnotthiswholeheadseemtospeakofanenormouspracticalresolutioninfacingdeath?thisrightwhaleitaketohavebeenastoic;thespermwhale,aplatonian,whomighthavetakenupspinozainhislatteryears.

[1]thisremindsusthattherightwhalereallyhasasortofwhisker,orratheramoustache,consistingofafewscatteredwhitehairsontheupperpartoftheouterendofthelowerjaw.sometimesthesetuftsimpartaratherbrigandishexpressiontohisotherwisesolemncountenance.