CHAPTER56OftheLessErroneousPicture

inconnexionwiththemonstrouspicturesofwhales,iamstronglytemptedheretoenteruponthosestillmoremonstrousstoriesofthemwhicharetobefoundincertainbooks,bothancientandmodern,especiallyinpliny,purchas,hackluyt,harris,cuvier,etc.butipassthatmatterby.

iknowofonlyfourpublishedoutlinesofthegreatspermwhale;colnett's,ins's,frederickcuvier's,andbeale's.inthepreviouschaptercolnettandcuvierhavebeenreferredto.ins'sisfarbetterthantheirs;but,bygreatodds,beale'sisthebest.allbeale'sdrawingsofthiswhalearegood,exceptingthemiddlefigureinthepictureofthreewhalesinvariousattitudes,cappinghissecondchapter.hisfrontispiece,boatsattackingspermwhales,thoughnodoubtcalculatedtoexcitethecivilscepticismofsomeparlormen,isadmirablycorrectandlife-likeinitsgeneraleffect.someofthespermwhaledrawingsinj.rossbrowneareprettycorrectincontour;buttheyarewretchedlyengraved.thatisnothisfaultthough.

oftherightwhale,thebestoutlinepicturesareinscoresby;buttheyaredrawnontoosmallascaletoconveyadesirableimpression.hehasbutonepictureofwhalingscenes,andthisisasaddeficiency,becauseitisbysuchpicturesonly,whenatallwelldone,thatyoucanderiveanythinglikeatruthfulideaofthelivingwhaleasseenbyhislivinghunters.

but,takenforallinall,byfarthefinest,thoughinsomedetailsnotthemostcorrect,presentationsofwhalesandwhalingscenestobeanywherefound,aretwolargefrenchengravings,wellexecuted,andtakenfrompaintingsbyonegarnery.respectively,theyrepresentattacksonthespermandrightwhale.inthefirstengravinganoblespermwhaleisdepictedinfullmajestyofmight,justrisenbeneaththeboatfromtheprofunditiesoftheocean,andbearinghighintheairuponhisbacktheterrificwreckofthestovenplanks.theprowoftheboatispartiallyunbroken,andisdrawnjustbalancinguponthemonster'sspine;andstandinginthatprow,forthatonesingleincomputableflashoftime,youbeholdanoarsman,halfshroudedbytheincensedboilingspoutofthewhale,andintheactofleaping,asiffromaprecipice.theactionofthewholethingiswonderfullygoodandtrue.thehalf-emptiedline-tubfloatsonthewhitenedsea;thewoodenpolesofthespilledharpoonsobliquelybobinit;theheadsoftheswimmingcrewarescatteredaboutthewhaleincontrastingexpressionsofaffright;whileintheblackstormydistancetheshipisbearingdownuponthescene.seriousfaultmightbefoundwiththeanatomicaldetailsofthiswhale,butletthatpass;since,forthelifeofme,icouldnotdrawsogoodaone.

inthesecondengraving,theboatisintheactofdrawingalongsidethebarnacledflankofalargerunningrightwhale,thatrollshisblackweedybulkinthesealikesomemossyrock-slidefromthepatagoniancliffs.hisjetsareerect,full,andblacklikesoot;sothatfromsoaboundingasmokeinthechimney,youwouldthinktheremustbeabravesuppercookinginthegreatbowelsbelow.seafowlsarepeckingatthesmallcrabs,shell-fish,andotherseacandiesandaroni,whichtherightwhalesometimescarriesonhispestilentback.andallthewhilethethick-lippedleviathanisrushingthroughthedeep,leavingtonsoftumultuouswhitecurdsinhiswake,andcausingtheslightboattorockintheswellslikeaskiffcaughtnighthepaddle-wheelsofanoceansteamer.thus,theforegroundisallragingcommotion;butbehind,inadmirableartisticcontrast,istheglassylevelofaseabecalmed,thedroopingunstarchedsailsofthepowerlessship,andtheinertmassofadeadwhale,aconqueredfortress,withtheflagofcapturelazilyhangingfromthewhale-poleinsertedintohisspout-hole.

whogarnerythepainteris,orwas,iknownot.butmylifeforithewaseitherpracticallyconversantwithhissubject,orelsemarvellouslytutoredbysomeexperiencedwhaleman.thefrencharetheladsforpaintingaction.goandgazeuponallthepaintingsofeurope,andwherewillyoufindsuchagalleryoflivingandbreathingcommotiononcanvas,asinthattriumphalhallatversailles;wherethebeholderfightshisway,pell-mell,throughtheconsecutivegreatbattlesoffrance;whereeveryswordseemsaflashofthenorthernlights,andtheessivearmedkingsandemperorsdashby,likeachargeofcrownedcentaurs?notwhollyunworthyofaplaceinthatgallery,aretheseseabattle-piecesofgarnery.

thenaturalaptitudeofthefrenchforseizingthepicturesquenessofthingsseemstobepeculiarlyevincedinwhatpaintingsandengravingstheyhaveoftheirwhalingscenes.withnotonetenthofengland'sexperienceinthefishery,andnotthethousandthpartofthatoftheamericans,theyhaveneverthelessfurnishedbothnationswiththeonlyfinishedsketchesatallcapableofconveyingtherealspiritofthewhalehunt.forthemostpart,theenglishandamericanwhaledraughtsmenseementirelycontentwithpresentingthemechanicaloutlineofthings,suchasthevacantprofileofthewhale;which,sofaraspicturesquenessofeffectisconcerned,isabouttantamounttosketchingtheprofileofapyramid.evenscoresby,thejustlyrenownedrightwhaleman,aftergivingusastifffulllengthofthegreenlandwhale,andthreeorfourdelicateminiaturesofnarwhalesandporpoises,treatsustoaseriesofclassicalengravingsofboathooks,choppingknives,andgrapnels;andwiththemicroscopicdiligenceofaleuwenhoecksubmitstotheinspectionofashiveringworldninetysixfac-similesofmagnifiedarcticsnowcrystals.imeannodisparagementtotheexcellentvoyager(ihonorhimforaveteran),butinsoimportantamatteritwascertainlyanoversightnottohaveprocuredforeverycrystalaswornaffidavittakenbeforeagreenlandjusticeofthepeace.

inadditiontothosefineengravingsfromgarnery,therearetwootherfrenchengravingsworthyofnote,bysomeonewhosubscribeshimself"h.durand."oneofthem,thoughnotpreciselyadaptedtoourpresentpurpose,neverthelessdeservesmentiononotheraccounts.itisaquietnoon-sceneamongtheislesofthepacific;afrenchwhaleranchored,inshore,inacalm,andlazilytakingwateronboard;theloosenedsailsoftheship,andthelongleavesofthepalmsinthebackground,bothdroopingtogetherinthebreezelessair.theeffectisveryfine,whenconsideredwithreferencetoitspresentingthehardyfishermenunderoneoftheirfewaspectsoforientalrepose.theotherengravingisquiteadifferentaffair:theshiphove-toupontheopensea,andintheveryheartoftheleviathaniclife,witharightwhalealongside;thevessel(intheactofcutting-in)hoveovertothemonsterasiftoaquay;andaboat,hurriedlypushingofffromthissceneofactivity,isaboutgivingchasetowhalesinthedistance.theharpoonsandlanceslielevelledforuse;threeoarsmenarejustsettingthemastinitshole;whilefromasuddenrollofthesea,thelittlecraftstandshalf-erectoutofthewater,likearearinghorse.fromtheship,thesmokeofthetormentsoftheboilingwhaleisgoinguplikethesmokeoveravillageofsmithies;andtowindward,ablackcloud,risingupwithearnestofsquallsandrains,seemstoquickentheactivityoftheexcitedseamen.