CHAPTER76TheBattering-Ram

erequitting,forthenonce,thespermwhale'shead,iwouldhaveyou,asasensiblephysiologist,simply—particularlyremarkitsfrontaspect,inallitscompactedcollectedness.iwouldhaveyouinvestigateitnowwiththesoleviewofformingtoyourselfsomeerated,intelligentestimateofwhateverbattering-rampowermaybelodgedthere.hereisavitalpoint;foryoumusteithersatisfactorilysettlethismatterwithyourself,orforeverremainaninfidelastooneofthemostappalling,butnotthelesstrueevents,perhapsanywheretobefoundinallrecordedhistory.

youobservethatintheordinaryswimmingpositionofthespermwhale,thefrontofhisheadpresentsanalmostwhollyverticalplanetothewater;youobservethatthelowerpartofthatfrontslopesconsiderablybackwards,soastofurnishmoreofaretreatforthelongsocketwhichreceivestheboom-likelowerjaw;youobservethatthemouthisentirelyunderthehead,muchinthesameway,indeed,asthoughyourownmouthwereentirelyunderyourchin.moreoveryouobservethatthewhalehasnoexternalnose;andthatwhatnosehehas—hisspouthole—isonthetopofhishead;youobservethathiseyesandearsareatthesidesofhishead,nearlyonethirdofhisentirelengthfromthefront.wherefore,youmustnowhaveperceivedthatthefrontofthespermwhale'sheadisadead,blindwall,withoutasingleorganortenderprominenceofanysortwhatsoever.furthermore,youarenowtoconsiderthatonlyintheextreme,lower,backwardslopingpartofthefrontofthehead,istheretheslightestvestigeofbone;andnottillyougetneartwentyfeetfromtheforeheaddoyoucometothefullcranialdevelopment.sothatthiswholeenormousbonelessmassisasonewad.finally,though,aswillsoonberevealed,itscontentspartlycomprisethemostdelicateoil;yet,youarenowtobeapprisedofthenatureofthesubstancewhichsoimpregnablyinvestsallthatapparenteffeminacy.insomepreviousplaceihavedescribedtoyouhowtheblubberwrapsthebodyofthewhale,astherindwrapsanorange.justsowiththehead;butwiththisdifference:abouttheheadthisenvelope,thoughnotsothick,isofabonelesstoughness,inestimablebyanymanwhohasnothandledit.theseverestpointedharpoon,thesharpestlancedartedbythestrongesthumanarm,impotentlyreboundsfromit.itisasthoughtheforeheadofthespermwhalewerepavedwithhorses'hoofs.idonotthinkthatanysensationlurksinit.

bethinkyourselfalsoofanotherthing.whentwolarge,loadedindiamenchancetocrowdandcrushtowardseachotherinthedocks,whatdothesailorsdo?theydonotsuspendbetweenthem,atthepointofcomingcontact,anymerelyhardsubstance,likeironorwood.no,theyholdtherealarge,roundwadoftowandcork,envelopedinthethickestandtoughestofoxhide.thatbravelyanduninjuredtakesthejamwhichwouldhavesnappedalltheiroakenhandspikesandironcrow-bars.byitselfthissufficientlyillustratestheobviousfactidriveat.butsupplementarytothis,ithashypotheticallyoccurredtome,thatasordinaryfishpossesswhatiscalledaswimmingbladderinthem,capable,atwill,ofdistensionorcontraction;andasthespermwhale,asfarasiknow,hasnosuchprovisioninhim;considering,too,theotherwiseinexplicablemannerinwhichhenowdepresseshisheadaltogetherbeneaththesurface,andanonswimswithithighelevatedoutofthewater;consideringtheunobstructedelasticityofitsenvelope;consideringtheuniqueinteriorofhishead;ithashypotheticallyoccurredtome,isay,thatthosemysticallung-celledhoneycombstheremaypossiblyhavesomehithertounknownandunsuspectedconnexionwiththeouterair,soastobesusceptibletoatmosphericdistensionandcontraction.ifthisbeso,fancytheirresistiblenessofthatmight,towhichthemostimpalpableanddestructiveofallelementscontributes.

now,mark.unerringlyimpellingthisdead,impregnable,uninjurablewall,andthismostbuoyantthingwithin;thereswimsbehinditallamassoftremendouslife,onlytobeadequatelyestimatedaspiledwoodis—bythecord;andallobedienttoonevolition,asthesmallestinsect.sothatwhenishallhereafterdetailtoyouallthespecialitiesandconcentrationsofpotencyeverywherelurkinginthisexpansivemonster;whenishallshowyousomeofhismoreinconsiderablebrainingfeats;itrustyouwillhaverenouncedallignorantincredulity,andbereadytoabidebythis;thatthoughthespermwhalestoveapassagethroughtheisthmusofdarien,andmixedtheatlanticwiththepacific,youwouldnotelevateonehairofyoureye-brow.forunlessyouownthewhale,youarebutaprovincialandsentimentalistintruth.butcleartruthisathingforsalamandergiantsonlytoencounter;howsmallthechancesfortheprovincialsthen?whatbefelltheweaklingyouthliftingthedreadgoddess'sveilatlais?