The Affidavit
So far as what there may be of a narrative in this book; and,indeed, as indirectly touching one or two very interesting and curiousparticulars in the habits of sperm whales, the foregoing chapter, inits earlier part, is as important a one as will be found in thisvolume; but the leading matter of it requires to be still furtherand more familiarly enlarged upon, in order to be adequatelyunderstood, and moreover to take away any incredulity which a profoundignorance of the entire subject may induce in some minds, as to thenatural verity of the main points of this affair.
I care not to perform this part of my task methodically; but shallbe content to produce the desired impression by separate citationsof items, practically or reliably known to me as a whaleman; andfrom these citations, I take it- the conclusion aimed at willnaturally follow of itself.
First: I have personally known three instances where a whale,after receiving a harpoon, has effected a complete escape; and,after an interval (in one instance of three years), has been againstruck by the same hand, and slain; when the two irons, both marked bythe same private cypher, have been taken from the body. In theinstance where three years intervened between the flinging of thetwo harpoons; and I think it may have been something more than that;1
ship on a voyage to Africa, went ashore there, joined a discoveryparty, and penetrated far into the interior, where he travelled fora period of nearly two years, often endangered by serpents, savages,tigers, poisonous miasmas, with all the other common perils incidentto wandering in the heart of unknown regions. Meanwhile, the whalehe had struck must also have been on its travels; no doubt it hadthrice circumnavigated the globe, brushing with its flanks all thecoasts of Africa; but to no purpose. This man and this whale againcame together, and the one vanquished the other. I say I, myself, haveknown three instances similar to this; that is in two of them I sawthe whales struck; and, upon the second attack, saw the two irons withthe respective marks cut in them, afterwards taken from the dead fish.
In the three-year instance, it so fell out that I was in the boat bothtimes, first and last, and the last time distinctly recognized apeculiar sort of huge mole under the whale's eye, which I had observedthere three years previous. I say three years, but I am pretty sure itwas more than that. Here are three instances, then, which I personallyknow the truth of; but I have heard of many other instances frompersons whose veracity in the matter there is no good ground toimpeach.
Secondly: It is well known in the Sperm Whale Fishery, howeverignorant the world ashore may be of it, that there have been severalmemorable historical instances where a particular whale in the oceanhas been at distant times and places popularly cognisable. Why sucha whale became thus marked was not altogether and originally owingto his bodily peculiarities as distinguished from other whales; forhowever peculiar in that respect any chance whale may be, they soonput an end to his peculiarities by killing him, and boiling him downinto a peculiarly valuable oil. No: the reason was this: that from thefatal experiences of the fishery there hung a terrible prestige ofperilousness about such a whale as there did about RinaldoRinaldini, insomuch that most fishermen were content to recognisehim by merely touching their tarpaulins when he would be discoveredlounging by them on the sea, without seeking to cultivate a moreintimate acquaintance. Like some poor devils ashore that happen toknown an irascible great man, they make distant unobtrusivesalutations to him in the street, lest if they pursued theacquaintance further, they might receive a summary thump for theirpresumption.
But not only did each of these famous whales enjoy greatindividual celebrity- nay, you may call it an oceanwide renown; notonly was he famous in life and now is immortal in forecastle storiesafter death, but he was admitted into all the rights, privileges,and distinctions of a name; had as much a name indeed as Cambyses orCaesar. Was it not so, O Timor Tom! thou famed leviathan, scarred likea iceberg, who so long did'st lurk in the Oriental straits of thatname, whose spout was oft seen from the palmy beach of Ombay? Was itnot so, O New Zealand Jack! thou terror of all cruisers that crossedtheir wakes in the vicinity of the Tattoo Land? Was it not so, OMorquan! King of Japan, whose lofty jet they say at times assumedthe semblance of a snow-white cross against the sky? Was it not so,O Don Miguel! thou Chilian whale, marked like an old tortoise withmystic hieroglyphics upon the back! In plain prose, here are fourwhales as well known to the students of Cetacean History as Mariusor Sylla to the classic scholar.
But this is not all. New Zealand Tom and Don Miguel, after atvarious times creating great havoc among the boats of differentvessels, were finally gone in quest of, systematically hunted out,chased and killed by valiant whaling captains, who heaved up theiranchors with that express object as much in view, as in setting outthrough the Narragansett Woods, Captain Butler of old had it in hismind to capture that notorious murderous savage Annawon, theheadmost warrior of the Indian King Philip.
