CHAPTER86TheTail

otherpoetshavewarbledthepraisesofthesofteyeoftheantelope,andthelovelyplumageofthebirdthatneveralights;lesscelestial,icelebrateatail.

reckoningthelargestsizedspermwhale'stailtobeginatthatpointofthetrunkwhereittaperstoaboutthegirthofaman,itcomprisesuponitsuppersurfacealone,anareaofatleastfiftysquarefeet.thecompactroundbodyofitsrootexpandsintotwobroad,firm,flatpalmsorflukes,graduallyshoalingawaytolessthananinchinthickness.atthecrotchorjunction,theseflukesslightlyoverlap,thensidewaysrecedefromeachotherlikewings,leavingawidevacancybetween.innolivingthingarethelinesofbeautymoreexquisitelydefinedthaninthecrescenticbordersoftheseflukes.atitsutmostexpansioninthefullgrownwhale,thetailwillconsiderablyexceedtwentyfeetacross.

theentirememberseemsadensewebbedbedofweldedsinews;butcutintoit,andyoufindthatthreedistinctstratacomposeit:—upper,middle,andlower.thefibresintheupperandlowerlayers,arelongandhorizontal;thoseofthemiddleone,veryshort,andrunningcrosswisebetweentheoutsidelayers.thistriunestructure,asmuchasanythingelse,impartspowertothetail.tothestudentofoldromanwalls,themiddlelayerwillfurnishacuriousparalleltothethincourseoftilesalwaysalternatingwiththestoneinthosewonderfulrelicsoftheantique,andwhichundoubtedlycontributesomuchtothegreatstrengthofthemasonry.

butasifthisvastlocalpowerinthetendinoustailwerenotenough,thewholebulkoftheleviathanisknitoverwithawarpandwoofofmuscularfibresandfilaments,whichpassingoneithersidetheloinsandrunningdownintotheflukes,insensiblyblendwiththem,andlargelycontributetotheirmight;sothatinthetailtheconfluentmeasurelessforceofthewholewhaleseemsconcentratedtoapoint.couldannihilationoccurtomatter,thiswerethethingtodoit.

nordoesthis—itsamazingstrength,atalltendtocripplethegracefulflexionofitsmotions;whereinfantilenessofeaseundulatesthroughatitanismofpower.onthecontrary,thosemotionsderivetheirmostappallingbeautyfromit.realstrengthneverimpairsbeautyorharmony,butitoftenbestowsit;andineverythingimposinglybeautiful,strengthhasmuchtodowiththemagic.takeawaythetiedtendonsthatalloverseemburstingfromthemarbleinthecarvedhercules,anditscharmwouldbegone.asdevouteckermanliftedthelinensheetfromthenakedcorpseofgoethe,hewasoverwhelmedwiththemassivechestoftheman,thatseemedasaromantriumphalarch.whenangelopaintsevengodthefatherinhumanform,markwhatrobustnessisthere.andwhatevertheymayrevealofthedivineloveintheson,thesoft,curled,hermaphroditicalitalianpictures,inwhichhisideahasbeenmostessfullyembodied;thesepictures,sodestituteastheyareofallbrawniness,hintnothingofanypower,butthemerenegative,feminineoneofsubmissionandendurance,whichonallhandsitisconceded,formthepeculiarpracticalvirtuesofhisteachings.

suchisthesubtleelasticityoftheorganitreatof,thatwhetherwieldedinsport,orinearnest,orinanger,whateverbethemooditbein,itsflexionsareinvariablymarkedbyexceedinggrace.thereinnofairy'sarmcantranscendit.

fivegreatmotionsarepeculiartoit.first,whenusedasafinforprogression;second,whenusedasamaceinbattle;third,insweeping;fourth,inlobtailing;fifth,inpeakingflukes.

first:beinghorizontalinitsposition,theleviathan'stailactsinadifferentmannerfromthetailsofallotherseacreatures.itneverles.inmanorfish,lingisasignofinferiority.tothewhale,histailisthesolemeansofpropulsion.scroll-wisecoiledforwardsbeneaththebody,andthenrapidlysprungbackwards,itisthiswhichgivesthatsingulardarting,leapingmotiontothemonsterwhenfuriouslyswimming.hisside-finsonlyservetosteerby.

second:itisalittlesignificant,thatwhileonespermwhaleonlyfightsanotherspermwhalewithhisheadandjaw,nevertheless,inhisconflictswithman,hechieflyandcontemptuouslyuseshistail.instrikingataboat,heswiftlycurvesawayhisflukesfromit,andtheblowisonlyinflictedbytherecoil.ifitbemadeintheunobstructedair,especiallyifitdescendtoitsmark,thestrokeisthensimplyirresistible.noribsofmanorboatcanwithstandit.youronlysalvationliesineludingit;butifitcomessidewaysthroughtheopposingwater,thenpartlyowingtothelightbuoyancyofthewhale-boat,andtheelasticityofitsmaterials,acrackedriboradashedplankortwo,asortofstitchintheside,isgenerallythemostseriousresult.thesesubmergedsideblowsaresooftenreceivedinthefishery,thattheyareaccountedmerechild'splay.someonestripsoffafrock,andtheholeisstopped.

third:icannotdemonstrateit,butitseemstome,thatinthewhalethesenseoftouchisconcentratedinthetail;forinthisrespectthereisadelicacyinitonlyequalledbythedaintinessoftheelephant'strunk.thisdelicacyischieflyevincedintheactionofsweeping,wheninmaidenlygentlenessthewhalewithacertainsoftslownessmoveshisimmenseflukesfromsidetosideuponthesurfaceofthesea;andifhefeelbutasailor'swhisker,woetothatsailor,whiskersandall.whattendernessthereisinthatpreliminarytouch!hadthistailanyprehensilepower,ishouldstraightwaybethinkmeofdarmonodes'elephantthatsofrequentedtheflower-market,andwithlowsalutationspresentednosegaystodamsels,andthencaressedtheirzones.onmoreaccountsthanone,apityitisthatthewhaledoesnotpossessthisprehensilevirtueinhistail;forihaveheardofyetanotherelephant,thatwhenwoundedinthefight,curvedroundhistrunkandextractedthedart.

fourth:stealingunawaresuponthewhaleinthefanciedsecurityofthemiddleofsolitaryseas,youfindhimunbentfromthevastcorpulenceofhisdignity,andkitten-like,heplaysontheoceanasifitwereahearth.butstillyouseehispowerinhisplay.thebroadpalmsofhistailareflirtedhighintotheair;thensmitingthesurface,thethunderousconcussionresoundsformiles.youwouldalmostthinkagreatgunhadbeendischarged;andifyounoticedthelightwreathofvaporfromthespiracleathisotherextremity,youwouldthinkthatthatwasthesmokefromthetouch-hole.

fifth:asintheordinaryfloatingpostureoftheleviathantheflukeslieconsiderablybelowthelevelofhisback,theyarethencompletelyoutofsightbeneaththesurface;butwhenheisabouttoplungeintothedeeps,hisentireflukeswithatleastthirtyfeetofhisbodyaretossederectintheair,andsoremainvibratingamoment,tilltheydownwardsshootoutofview.exceptingthesublimebreach—somewhereelsetobedescribed—thispeakingofthewhale'sflukesisperhapsthegrandestsighttobeseeninallanimatednature.outofthebottomlessprofunditiesthegigantictailseemsspasmodicallysnatchingatthehighestheaven.soindreams,haveiseenmajesticsatanthrustingforthhistormentedcolossalclawfromtheflamebalticofhell.butingazingatsuchscenes,itisallinallwhatmoodyouarein;ifinthedantean,thedevilswilloccurtoyou;ifinthatofisaiah,thearchangels.standingatthemast-headofmyshipduringasunrisethatcrimsonedskyandsea,ioncesawalargeherdofwhalesintheeast,allheadingtowardsthesun,andforamomentvibratinginconcertwithpeakedflukes.asitseemedtomeatthetime,suchagrandembodimentofadorationofthegodswasneverbeheld,eveninpersia,thehomeofthefireworshippers.asptolemyphilopatertestifiedoftheafricanelephant,ithentestifiedofthewhale,pronouncinghimthemostdevoutofallbeings.foraccordingtokingjuba,themilitaryelephantsofantiquityoftenhailedthemorningwiththeirtrunksupliftedintheprofoundestsilence.

thechancecomparisoninthischapter,betweenthewhaleandtheelephant,sofarassomeaspectsofthetailoftheoneandthetrunkoftheotherareconcerned,shouldnottendtoplacethosetwooppositeorgansonanequality,muchlessthecreaturestowhichtheyrespectivelybelong.forasthemightiestelephantisbutaterriertoleviathan,so,comparedwithleviathan'stail,histrunkisbutthestalkofalily.themostdirefulblowfromtheelephant'strunkwereastheplayfultapofafan,comparedwiththemeasurelesscrushandcrashofthespermwhale'sponderousflukes,whichinrepeatedinstanceshaveoneaftertheotherhurledentireboatswithalltheiroarsandcrewsintotheair,verymuchasanindianlertosseshisballs.[1]

themoreiconsiderthismightytail,themoredoideploremyinabilitytoexpressit.attimestherearegesturesinit,which,thoughtheywouldwellgracethehandofman,remainwhollyinexplicable.inanextensiveherd,soremarkable,occasionally,arethesemysticgestures,thatihaveheardhunterswhohavedeclaredthemakintofree-masonsignsandsymbols;thatthewhale,indeed,bythesemethodsintelligentlyconversedwiththeworld.noraretherewantingothermotionsofthewhaleinhisgeneralbody,fullofstrangeness,andountabletohismostexperiencedassailant.dissecthimhowimay,then,ibutgoskindeep;iknowhimnot,andneverwill.butifiknownoteventhetailofthiswhale,howunderstandhishead?muchmore,howcomprehendhisface,whenfacehehasnone?thoushaltseemybackparts,mytail,heseemstosay,butmyfaceshallnotbeseen.buticannotcompletelymakeouthisbackparts;andhintwhathewillabouthisface,isayagainhehasnoface.

[1]thoughallcomparisoninthewayofgeneralbulkbetweenthewhaleandtheelephantispreposterous,inasmuchasinthatparticulartheelephantstandsinmuchthesamerespecttothewhalethatadogdoestotheelephant;nevertheless,therearenotwantingsomepointsofcurioussimilitude;amongtheseisthespout.itiswellknownthattheelephantwilloftendrawupwaterordustinhistrunk,andthenelevatingit,jetitforthinastream.