CHAPTER57OfWhalesinPaint;inTeeth;

ontower-hill,asyougodowntothelondondocks,youmayhaveseenacrippledar(orkedger,asthesailorssay)holdingapaintedboardbeforehim,representingthetragicsceneinwhichhelosthisleg.therearethreewhalesandthreeboats;andoneoftheboats(presumedtocontainthemissingleginallitsoriginalintegrity)isbeingcrunchedbythejawsoftheforemostwhale.anytimethesetenyears,theytellme,hasthatmanheldupthatpicture,andexhibitedthatstumptoanincredulousworld.butthetimeofhisjustificationhasnowcome.histhreewhalesareasgoodwhalesaswereeverpublishedinwapping,atanyrate;andhisstumpasunquestionableastumpasanyyouwillfindinthewesternclearings.but,thoughforevermountedonthatstump,neverastump-speechdoesthepoorwhalemanmake;but,withdowncasteyes,standsruefullycontemplatinghisownamputation.

throughoutthepacific,andalsoinnantucket,andnewbedford,andsagharbor,youwillcomeacrosslivelysketchesofwhalesandwhaling-scenes,gravenbythefishermenthemselvesonspermwhale-teeth,orladies'buskswroughtoutoftherightwhale-bone,andotherlikeskrimshanderarticles,asthewhalemencallthenumerouslittleingeniouscontrivancestheyelaboratelycarveoutoftheroughmaterial,intheirhoursofoceanleisure.someofthemhavelittleboxesofdentistical-lookingimplements,speciallyintendedfortheskrimshanderingbusiness.but,ingeneral,theytoilwiththeirjack-knivesalone;and,withthatalmostomnipotenttoolofthesailor,theywillturnyououtanythingyouplease,inthewayofamariner'sfancy.

longexilefromchristendomandcivilizationinevitablyrestoresamantothatconditioninwhichgodplacedhim,i.e.whatiscalledsavagery.yourtruewhale-hunterisasmuchasavageasaniroquois.imyselfamasavage,owningnoallegiancebuttothekingofthecannibals;andreadyatanymomenttorebelagainsthim.

now,oneofthepeculiarcharacteristicsofthesavageinhisdomestichours,ishiswonderfulpatienceofindustry.anancienthawaiianwar-cluborspearpaddle,initsfullmultiplicityandelaborationofcarving,isasgreatatrophyofhumanperseveranceasalatinlexicon.for,withbutabitofbrokensea-shellorashark'stooth,thatmiraculousintricacyofwoodennet-workhasbeenachieved;andithascoststeadyyearsofsteadyapplication.

aswiththehawaiiansavage,sowiththewhitesailor-savage.withthesamemarvellouspatience,andwiththesamesingleshark'stooth,ofhisonepoorjack-knife,hewillcarveyouabitofbonesculpture,notquiteasworkmanlike,butasclosepackedinitsmazinessofdesign,asthegreeksavage,achilles'sshield;andfullofbarbaricspiritandestiveness,astheprintsofthatfineolddutchsavage,albertdurer.

woodenwhales,orwhalescutinprofileoutofthesmalldarkslabsofthenoblesouthseawar-wood,arefrequentlymetwithintheforecastlesofamericanwhalers.someofthemaredonewithmuchaccuracy.

atsomeoldgable-roofedcountryhousesyouwillseebrasswhaleshungbythetailforknockerstotheroad-sidedoor.whentheporterissleepy,theanvilheadedwhalewouldbebest.buttheseknockingwhalesareseldomremarkableasfaithfulessays.onthespiresofsomeold-fashionedchurchesyouwillseesheet-ironwhalesplacedthereforweather-cocks;buttheyaresoelevated,andbesidesthataretoallintentsandpurposessolabelledwith"handsoff!"youcannotexaminethemcloselyenoughtodecideupontheirmerit.

inbony,ribbyregionsoftheearth,whereatthebaseofhighbrokencliffsmassesofrockliestrewninfantasticgroupingsupontheplain,youwilloftendiscoverimagesasofthepetrifiedformsoftheleviathanpartlymergedingrass,whichofawindydaybreaksagainsttheminasurfofgreensurges.

then,again,inmountainouscountrieswherethetravelleriscontinuallygirdledbyamphitheatricalheights;hereandtherefromsomeluckypointofviewyouwillcatchpassingglimpsesoftheprofilesofwhalesdefinedalongtheundulatingridges.butyoumustbeathoroughwhaleman,toseethesesights;andnotonlythat,butifyouwishtoreturntosuchasightagain,youmustbesureandtaketheexactintersectinglatitudeandlongitudeofyourfirststand-point,elsesochance-likearesuchobservationsofthehills,thatyourprecise,previousstand-pointwouldrequirealaboriousre-discovery;likethesolomaislands,whichstillremainincognita,thoughoncehigh-ruffedmendannatrodthemandoldfiguerachronicledthem.

norwhenexpandinglyliftedbyyoursubject,canyoufailtotraceoutgreatwhalesinthestarryheavens,andboatsinpursuitofthem;aswhenlongfilledwiththoughtsofwartheeasternnationssawarmieslockedinbattleamongtheclouds.thusatthenorthhaveichasedleviathanroundandroundthepolewiththerevolutionsofthebrightpointsthatfirstdefinedhitome.andbeneaththeeffulgentantarcticskiesihaveboardedtheargo-navis,andjoinedthechaseagainstthestarrycetusfarbeyondtheutmoststretchofhydrusandtheflyingfish.

withafrigate'sanchorsformybridle-bittsandfascesofharpoonsforspurs,wouldicouldmountthatwhaleandleapthetopmostskies,toseewhetherthefabledheavenswithalltheircountlesstentsreallylieencampedbeyondmymortalsight!