CHAPTER58Brit

steeringnorth-eastwardfromthecrozetts,wefellinwithvastmeadowsofbrit,theminute,yellowsubstance,uponwhichtherightwhalelargelyfeeds.forleaguesandleaguesitundulatedroundus,sothatweseemedtobesailingthroughboundlessfieldsofripeandgoldenwheat.

onthesecondday,numbersofrightwhaleswereseen,who,securefromtheattackofaspermwhalerlikethepequod,withopenjawsishlyswamthroughthebrit,which,adheringtothefringingfibresofthatwondrousvenetianblindintheirmouths,wasinthatmannerseparatedfromthewaterthatescapedatthelip.

asmorningmowers,whosidebysideslowlyandseethinglyadvancetheirscythesthroughthelongwetgrassofmarshymeads;evensothesemonstersswam,makingastrange,grassy,cuttingsound;andleavingbehindthemendlessswathsofblueupontheyellowsea.[1]

butitwasonlythesoundtheymadeastheypartedthebritwhichatallremindedoneofmowers.seenfromthemast-heads,especiallywhentheypausedandwerestationaryforawhile,theirvastblackformslookedmorelikelifelessmassesofrockthananythingelse.andasinthegreathuntingcountriesofindia,thestrangeratadistancewillsometimespassontheplainsrecumbentelephantswithoutknowingthemtobesuch,takingthemforbare,blackenedelevationsofthesoil;evenso,often,withhim,whoforthefirsttimebeholdsthisspeciesoftheleviathansofthesea.andevenwhenrecognisedatlast,theirimmensemagnituderendersitveryhardreallytobelievethatsuchbulkymassesofovergrowthcanpossiblybeinstinct,inallparts,withthesamesortoflifethatlivesinadogorahorse.

indeed,inotherrespects,youcanhardlyregardanycreaturesofthedeepwiththesamefeelingsthatyoudothoseoftheshore.forthoughsomeoldnaturalistshavemaintainedthatallcreaturesofthelandareoftheirkindinthesea;andthoughtakingabroadgeneralviewofthething,thismayverywellbe;yetcomingtospecialties,where,forexample,doestheoceanfurnishanyfishthatindispositionanswerstothesagaciouskindnessofthedog?theaccursedsharkalonecaninanygenericrespectbesaidtobearcomparativeanalogytohim.

butthough,tolandsmeningeneral,thenativeinhabitantsoftheseashaveeverbeenregardedwithemotionsunspeakablyunsocialandrepelling;thoughweknowtheseatobeaneverlastingterraincognita,sothatcolumbussailedovernumberlessunknownworldstodiscoverhisonesuperficialwesternone;though,byvastodds,themostterrificofallmortaldisastershaveimmemoriallyandindiscriminatelybefallentensandhundredsofthousandsofthosewhohavegoneuponthewaters;thoughbutamoment'sconsiderationwillteach,thathoweverbabymanmaybragofhisscienceandskill,andhowevermuch,inaflatteringfuture,thatscienceandskillmayaugment;yetforeverandforever,tothecrackofdoom,theseawillinsultandmurderhim,andpulverizethestateliest,stiffestfrigatehecanmake;nevertheless,bythecontinualrepetitionoftheseveryimpressions,manhaslostthatsenseofthefullawfulnessoftheseawhichaboriginallybelongstoit.

thefirstboatwereadof,floatedonanocean,thawithportuguesevengeancehadwhelmedawholeworldwithoutleavingsomuchasawidow.thatsameoceanrollsnow;thatsameoceandestroyedthewreckedshipsoflastyear.yea,foolishmortals,noah'sfloodisnotyetsubsided;twothirdsofthefairworldityetcovers.

whereindiffertheseaandtheland,thatamiracleupononeisnotamiracleupontheother?preternaturalterrorsresteduponthehebrews,whenunderthefeetofkorahandhiscompanythelivegroundopenedandswallowedthemupforever;yetnotamodernsuneversets,butinpreciselythesamemannertheliveseaswallowsupshipsandcrews.

butnotonlyistheseasuchafoetomanwhoisanalientoit,butitisalsoafiendtoitsownoff-spring;worsethanthepersianhostwhomurderedhisownguests;sparingnotthecreatureswhichitselfhathspawned.likeasavagetigressthattossinginthejungleoverlaysherowncubs,sotheseadasheseventhemightiestwhalesagainsttherocks,andleavesthemtheresidebysidewiththesplitwrecksofships.nomercy,nopowerbutitsowncontrolsit.pantingandsnortinglikeamadbattlesteedthathaslostitsrider,themasterlessoceanoverrunstheglobe.

considerthesubtlenessofthesea;howitsmostdreadedcreaturesglideunderwater,unapparentforthemostpart,andtreacherouslyhiddenbeneaththeloveliesttintsofazure.consideralsothedevilishbrillianceandbeautyofmanyofitsmostremorselesstribes,asthedaintyembellishedshapeofmanyspeciesofsharks.consider,oncemore,theuniversalcannibalismofthesea;allwhosecreaturespreyuponeachother,carryingoneternalwarsincetheworldbegan.

considerallthis;andthenturntothisgreen,gentle,andmostdocileearth;considerthemboth,theseaandtheland;anddoyounotfindastrangeanalogytosomethinginyourself?forasthisappallingoceansurroundstheverdantland,sointhesoulofmanthereliesoneinsulartahiti,fullofpeaceandjoy,butencompassedbyallthehorrorsofthehalfknownlife.godkeepthee!pushnotofffromthatisle,thoucanstneverreturn!

[1]thatpartoftheseaknownamongwhalemenasthe'brazilbanks'doesnotbearthatnameasthebanksofnewfoundlanddo,becauseoftherebeingshallowsandsoundingsthere,butbecauseofthisremarkablemeadow-likeappearance,causedbythevastdriftsofbritcontinuallyfloatinginthoselatitudes,wheretherightwhaleisoftenchased.