CHAPTER85TheFountain

thatforsixthousandyears—andnooneknowshowmanymillionsofagesbefore—thegreatwhalesshouldhavebeenspoutingalloverthesea,andsprinklingandmistifyingthegardensofthedeep,aswithsomanysprinklingormistifyingpots;andthatforsomecenturiesback,thousandsofhuntersshouldhavebeenclosebythefountainofthewhale,watchingthesesprinklingsandspoutings—thatallthisshouldbe,andyet,thatdowntothisblessedminute(fifteenandaquarterminutespastoneo'clockp.m.ofthissixteenthdayofdecember,a.d.1851),itshouldstillremainaproblem,whetherthesespoutingsare,afterall,reallywater,ornothingbutvapor—thisissurelyanoteworthything.

letus,then,lookatthismatter,alongwithsomeinterestingitemscontingent.everyoneknowsthatbythepeculiarcunningoftheirgills,thefinnytribesingeneralbreathetheairwhichatalltimesiscombinedwiththeelementinwhichtheyswim;hence,aherringoracodmightliveacentury,andneveronceraiseitsheadabovethesurface.butowingtohismarkedinternalstructurewhichgiveshimregularlungs,likeahumanbeing's,thewhalecanonlylivebyinhalingthedisengagedairintheopenatmosphere.whereforethenecessityforhisperiodicalvisitstotheupperworld.buthecannotinanydegreebreathethroughhismouth,for,inhisordinaryattitude,thespermwhale'smouthisburiedatleasteightfeetbeneaththesurface;andwhatisstillmore,hiswindpipehasnoconnexionwithhismouth.no,hebreathesthroughhisspiraclealone;andthisisonthetopofhishead.

ifisay,thatinanycreaturebreathingisonlyafunctionindispensabletovitality,inasmuchasitwithdrawsfromtheairacertainelement,whichbeingsubsequentlybroughtintocontactwiththebloodimpartstotheblooditsvivifyingprinciple,idonotthinkishallerr;thoughimaypossiblyusesomesuperfluousscientificwords.assumeit,anditfollowthatifallthebloodinamancouldbeaeratedwithonebreath,hemightthensealuphisnostrilsandnotfetchanotherforaconsiderabletime.thatistosay,hewouldthenlivewithoutbreathing.anomalousasitmayseem,thisispreciselythecasewiththewhale,whosystematicallylives,byintervals,hisfullhourandmore(whenatthebottom)withoutdrawingasinglebreath,orsomuchasinanywayinhalingaparticleofair;for,remember,hehasnogills.howisthis?betweenhisribsandoneachsideofhisspineheissuppliedwitharemarkableinvolvedcretanlabyrinthofvermicelli-likevessels,whichvessels,whenhequitsthesurface,arecompletelydistendedwithoxygenatedblood.sothatforanhourormore,athousandfathomsinthesea,hecarriesasurplusstockofvitalityinhim,justasthecamelcrossingthewaterlessdesertcarriesasurplussupplyofdrinkforfutureuseinitsfoursupplementarystomachs.theanatomicalfactofthislabyrinthisindisputable;andthatthesuppositionfoundeduponitisreasonableandtrue,seemsthemorecogenttome,wheniconsidertheotherwiseinexplicableobstinacyofthatleviathaninhavinghisspoutingsout,asthefishermenphraseit.thisiswhatimean.ifunmolested,uponrisingtothesurface,thespermwhalewillcontinuethereforaperiodoftimeexactlyuniformwithallhisotherunmolestedrisings.sayhestayselevenminutes,andjetsseventytimes,thatis,respiresseventybreaths;thenwheneverherisesagain,hewillbesuretohavehisseventybreathsoveragain,toaminute.now,ifafterhefetchesafewbreathsyoualarmhim,sothathesounds,hewillbealwaysdodgingupagaintomakegoodhisregularallowanceofair.andnottillthoseseventybreathsaretold,willhefinallygodowntostayouthisfulltermbelow.remark,however,thatindifferentindividualstheseratesaredifferent;butinanyonetheyarealike.now,whyshouldthewhalethusinsistuponhavinghisspoutingsout,unlessitbetoreplenishhisreservoirofair,eredescendingforgood?howobviousisit,too,thatthisnecessityforthewhale'srisingexposeshimtoallthefatalhazardsofthechase.fornotbyhookorbynetcouldthisvastleviathanbecaught,whensailingathousandfathomsbeneaththesunlight.notsomuchthyskill,then,ohunter,asthegreatnecessitiesthatstrikethevictorytothee!

inman,breathingisincessantlygoingon—onebreathonlyservingfortwoorthreepulsations;sothatwhateverotherbusinesshehastoattendto,wakingorsleeping,breathehemust,ordiehewill.butthespermwhaleonlybreathesaboutoneseventhorsundayofhistime.

ithasbeensaidthatthewhaleonlybreathesthroughhisspout-hole;ifitcouldtruthfullybeaddedthathisspoutsaremixedwithwater,theniopineweshouldbefurnishedwiththereasonwhyhissenseofsmellseemsobliteratedinhim;fortheonlythingabouthimthatatallanswerstohisnoseisthatidenticalspouthole;andbeingsoedwithtwoelements,itcouldnotbeexpectedtohavethepowerofsmelling.butowingtothemysteryofthespout—whetheritbewaterorwhetheritbevapor—noabsolutecertaintycanasyetbearrivedatonthishead.sureitis,nevertheless,thatthespermwhalehasnoproperolfactories.butwhatdoeshewantofthem?noroses,noviolets,nocologne-waterinthesea.

furthermore,ashiswindpipesolelyopensintothetubeofhisspoutingcanal,andasthatlongcanal—likethegranderiecanal—isfurnishedwithasortoflocks(thatopenandshut)forthedownwardretentionofairortheupwardexclusionofwater,thereforethewhalehasnovoice;unlessyouinsulthimbysaying,thatwhenhesostrangelyrumbles,hetalksthroughhisnose.butthenagain,whathasthewhaletosay?seldomhaveiknownanyprofoundbeingthathadanythingtosaytothisworld,unlessforcedtostammeroutsomethingbywayofgettingaliving.oh!happythattheworldissuchanexcellentlistener!

now,thespoutingcanalofthespermwhale,chieflyintendedasitisfortheconveyanceofair,andforseveralfeetlaidalong,horizontally,justbeneaththeuppersurfaceofhishead,andalittletooneside;thiscuriouscanalisverymuchlikeagas-pipelaiddowninacityononesideofastreet.butthequestionreturnswhetherthisgas-pipeisalsoawater-pipe;inotherwords,whetherthespoutofthespermwhaleisthemerevaporoftheexhaledbreath,orwhetherthatexhaledbreathismixedwithwatertakeninatthemouth,anddischargedthroughthespiracle.itiscertainthatthemouthindirectlycommunicateswiththespoutingcanal;butitcannotbeprovedthatthisisforthepurposeofdischargingwaterthroughthespiracle.becausethegreatestnecessityforsodoingwouldseemtobe,wheninfeedingheaccidentallytakesinwater.butthespermwhale'sfoodisfarbeneaththesurface,andtherehecannotspoutevenifhewould.besides,ifyouregardhimveryclosely,andtimehimwithyourwatch,youwillfindthatwhenunmolested,thereisanundeviatingrhymebetweentheperiodsofhisjetsandtheordinaryperiodsofrespiration.

butwhypesteronewithallthisreasoningonthesubject?speakout!youhaveseenhimspout;thendeclarewhatthespoutis;canyounottellwaterfromair?mydearsir,inthisworlditisnotsoeasytosettletheseplainthings.ihaveeverfoundyourplainthingstheknottiestofall.andasforthiswhalespout,youmightalmoststandinit,andyetbeundecidedastowhatitisprecisely.

thecentralbodyofitishiddeninthesnowysparklingmistenvelopingit;andhowcanyoucertainlytellwhetheranywaterfallsfromit,when,always,whenyouarecloseenoughtoawhaletogetacloseviewofhisspout,heisinaprodigiouscommotion,thewatercascadingallaroundhim.andifatsuchtimesyoushouldthinkthatyoureallyperceiveddropsofmoistureinthespout,howdoyouknowthattheyarenotmerelycondensedfromitsvapor;orhowdoyouknowthattheyarenotthoseidenticaldropssuperficiallylodgedinthespout-holefissure,whichiscountersunkintothesummitofthewhale'shead?forevenwhentranquillyswimmingthroughthemid-dayseainacalm,withhiselevatedhumpsun-driedasadromedary'sinthedesert;eventhen,thewhalealwayscarriesasmallbasinofwateronhishead,asunderablazingsunyouwillsometimesseeacavityinarockfilledupwithrain.

norisitatallprudentforthehuntertobeovercurioustouchingtheprecisenatureofthewhalespout.itwillnotdoforhimtobepeeringintoit,andputtinghisfaceinit.youcannotgowithyourpitchertothisfountainandfillit,andbringitaway.forevenwhencomingintoslightcontactwiththeouter,vaporyshredsofthejet,whichwilloftenhappen,yourskinwillfeverishlysmart,fromtheacridnessofthethingsotouchingit.andiknowone,whocomingintostillclosercontactwiththespout,whetherwithsomescientificobjectinview,orotherwise,icannotsay,theskinpeeledofffromhischeekandarm.wherefore,amongwhalemen,thespoutisdeemedpoisonous;theytrytoevadeit.anotherthing;ihavehearditsaid,andidonotmuchdoubtit,thatifthejetisfairlyspoutedintoyoureyes,itwillblindyou.thewisestthingtheinvestigatorcandothen,itseemstome,istoletthisdeadlyspoutalone.

still,wecanhypothesize,evenifwecannotproveandestablish.myhypothesisisthis:thatthespoutisnothingbutmist.andbesidesotherreasons,tothisconclusioniamimpelled,byconsiderationstouchingthegreatinherentdignityandsublimityofthespermwhale;iaccounthimnocommon,shallowbeing,inasmuchasitisanundisputedfactthatheisneverfoundonsoundings,ornearshores;allotherwhalessometimesare.heisbothponderousandprofound.andiamconvincedthatfromtheheadsofallponderousprofoundbeings,suchasplato,pyrrho,thedevil,jupiter,dante,andsoon,therealwaysgoesupacertainsemi-visiblesteam,whileintheactofthinkingdeepthoughts.whilecomposingalittletreatiseoneternity,ihadthecuriositytoplaceamirrorbeforeme;anderelongsawreflectedthere,acuriousinvolvedwormingandundulationintheatmosphereovermyhead.theinvariablemoistureofmyhair,whileplungedindeepthought,aftersixcupsofhotteainmythinshingledattic,ofanaugustnoon;thisseemsanadditionalargumentfortheabovesupposition.

andhownoblyitraisesourconceitofthemighty,mistymonster,tobeholdhimsolemnlysailingthroughacalmtropicalsea;hisvast,mildheadoverhungbyacanopyofvapor,engenderedbyhisincommunicablecontemplations,andthatvapor—asyouwillsometimesseeit—glorifiedbyarainbow,asifheavenitselfhadputitssealuponhisthoughts.for,d'yesee,rainbowsdonotvisittheclearair;theyonlyirradiatevapor.andso,throughallthethickmistsofthedimdoubtsinmymind,divineintuitionsnowandthenshoot,enkindlingmyfogwithaheavenlyray.andforthisithankgod;forallhavedoubts;manydeny;butdoubtsordenials,fewalongwiththem,haveintuitions.doubtsofallthingsearthly,andintuitionsofsomethingsheavenly;thiscombinationmakesneitherbelievernorinfidel,butmakesamanwhoregardsthembothwithequaleye.