Original Story：
From his mighty bulk the whale affords a most congenial theme whereon to enlarge, amplify, and generally expatiate. Would you, you could not compress him. By good rights he should only be treated of in imperial folio. Not to tell over again his furlongs from spiracle to tail, and the yards he measured about the waist; only think of the gigantic involutions of his intestines, where they lie in him like great cables and hawsers coiled away in the subterranean orlop-deck of a line-of-battle-ship.
Since I have undertaken to manhandle this Leviathan, it behooves me to approve myself omnisciently exhaustive in the enterprise; not overlooking the minutest seminal germs of his blood, and spinning him out to the uttermost coil of his bowels. Having already described him in most of his present habitatory and anatomical peculiarities, it now remains to magnify him in an archaeological, fossiliferous, and antediluvian point of view. Applied to any other creature than the Leviathan- to an ant or a flea- such portly terms might justly be deemed unwarrantably grandiloquent. But when Leviathan is the text, the case is altered. Fain am I to stagger to this enterprise under the weightiest words of the dictionary. And here be it said, that whenever it has been convenient to consult one in the course of these dissertations, I have invariably used a huge quarto edition of Johnson, expressly purchased for that purpose; because that famous lexicographer’s uncommon personal bulk more fitted him to compile a lexicon to be used by a whale author like me.
One often hears of writers that rise and swell with their subject, though it may seem but an ordinary one. How, then, with me, writing of this Leviathan? Unconsciously my chirography expands into placard capitals. Give me a condor’s quill! Give me Vesuvius’ crater for an inkstand! Friends, hold my arms! For in the mere act of penning my thoughts of this Leviathan, they weary me, and make me faint with their outreaching comprehensiveness of sweep, as if to include the whole circle of the sciences, and all the generations of whales, and men, and mastodons, past, present, and to come, with all the revolving panoramas of empire on earth, and throughout the whole universe, not excluding its suburbs. Such, and so magnifying, is the virtue of a large and liberal theme! We expand to its bulk. To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme. No great and enduring volume can ever be written on the flea, though many there be who have tried it.
Ere entering upon the subject of Fossil Whales, I present my credentials as a geologist, by stating that in my miscellaneous time I have been a stone-mason, and also a great digger of ditches, canals and wells, wine-vaults, cellars, and cisterns of all sorts. Likewise, by way of preliminary, I desire to remind the reader, that while in the earlier geological strata there are found the fossils of monsters now almost completely extinct; the subsequent relics discovered in what are called the Tertiary formations seem the connecting, or at any rate intercepted links, between the antichronical creatures, and those whose remote posterity are said to have entered the Ark; all the Fossil Whales hitherto discovered belong to the Tertiary period, which is the last preceding the superficial formations. And though none of them precisely answer to any known species of the present time, they are yet sufficiently akin to them in general respects, to justify their taking rank as Cetacean fossils.
Detached broken fossils of pre-adamite whales, fragments of their bones and skeletons, have within thirty years past, at various intervals, been found at the base of the Alps, in Lombardy, in France, in England, in Scotland, and in the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Among the more curious of such remains is part of a skull, which in the year 1779 was disinterred in the Rue Dauphine in Paris, a short street opening almost directly upon the palace of the Tuileries; and bones disinterred in excavating the great docks of Antwerp, in Napoleon’s time. Cuvier pronounced these fragments to have belonged to some utterly unknown Leviathanic species.
But by far the most wonderful of all Cetacean relics was the almost complete vast skeleton of an extinct monster, found in the year 1842, on the plantation of Judge Creagh, in Alabama. The awe-stricken credulous slaves in the vicinity took it for the bones of one of the fallen angels. The Alabama doctors declared it a huge reptile, and bestowed upon it the name of Basilosaurus. But some specimen bones of it being taken across the sea to Owen, the English Anatomist, it turned out that this alleged reptile was a whale, though of a departed species. A significant illustration of the fact, again and again repeated in this book, that the skeleton of the whale furnishes but little clue to the shape of his fully invested body. So Owen rechristened the monster Zeuglodon; and in his paper read before the London Geological Society, pronounced it, in substance, one of the most extraordinary creatures which the mutations of the globe have blotted out of existence.
When I stand among these mighty Leviathan skeletons, skulls, tusks, jaws, ribs, and vertebrae, all characterized by partial resemblances to the existing breeds of sea-monsters; but at the same time bearing on the other hand similar affinities to the annihilated antichronical Leviathans, their incalculable seniors; I am, by a flood, borne back to that wondrous period, ere time itself can be said to have begun; for time began with man. Here Saturn’s grey chaos rolls over me, and I obtain dim, shuddering glimpses into those Polar eternities; when wedged bastions of ice pressed hard upon what are now the Tropics; and in all the 25,000 miles of this world’s circumference, not an inhabitable hand’s breadth of land was visible. Then the whole world was the whale’s; and, king of creation, he left his wake along the present lines of the Andes and the Himmalehs. Who can show a pedigree like Leviathan? Ahab’s harpoon had shed older blood than the Pharaoh’s. Methuselah seems a schoolboy. I look round to shake hands with Shem. I am horror-struck at this antemosaic, unsourced existence of the unspeakable terrors of the whale, which, having been before all time, must needs exist after all humane ages are over.
But not alone has this Leviathan left his pre-adamite traces in the stereotype plates of nature, and in limestone and marl bequeathed his ancient bust; but upon Egyptian tablets, whose antiquity seems to claim for them an almost fossiliferous character, we find the unmistakable print of his fin. In an apartment of the great temple of Denderah, some fifty years ago, there was discovered upon the granite ceiling a sculptured and painted planisphere, similar to the grotesque figures on the celestial globe of the moderns. Gliding among them, old Leviathan swam as of yore; was there swimming in that planisphere, centuries before Solomon was cradled.
Nor must there be omitted another strange attestation of the antiquity of the whale, in his own osseous postdiluvian reality, as set down by the venerable John Leo, the old Barbary traveller.
“Not far from the Sea-side, they have a Temple, the Rafters and Beams of which are made of Whale-Bones; for Whales of a monstrous size are oftentimes cast up dead upon that shore. The Common People imagine, that by a secret Power bestowed by God upon the Temple, no Whale can pass it without immediate death. But the truth of the matter is, that on either side of the Temple, there are Rocks that shoot two Miles into the Sea, and wound the Whales when they light upon ‘em. They keep a Whale’s Rib of an incredible length for a Miracle, which lying upon the Ground with its convex part uppermost, makes an Arch, the Head of which cannot be reached by a Man upon a Camel’s Back. This Rib (says John Leo) is said to have layn there a hundred Years before I saw it. Their Historians affirm, that a Prophet who prophesy’d of Mahomet, came from this Temple, and some do not stand to assert, that the Prophet Jonas was cast forth by the Whale at the Base of the Temple.”
In this Afric Temple of the Whale I leave you, reader, and if you be a Nantucketer, and a whaleman, you will silently worship there.
Expansion and Explanation
Overview and Interpretation
This passage is a rich, elaborate meditation on the whale, or more specifically the Leviathan, a term often used to describe a giant sea creature, symbolizing immense power and mystery. The author marvels at the whale’s enormous size and complexity, suggesting that it is a subject worthy of grand and detailed study. The whale is not just a creature of the sea but a symbol that connects natural history, geology, archaeology, and even mythology.
The text begins by emphasizing the whale’s vast physical scale, describing its body and internal organs with vivid imagery, comparing its intestines to thick cables coiled in a ship’s hold. The author expresses a desire to be exhaustive in describing the whale, from its anatomy to its fossil history, showing the creature's significance across time—from ancient geological eras to human history.
The whale is presented as a creature that transcends ordinary subjects, requiring "weighty words" and a broad, almost cosmic perspective. The author humorously wishes for enormous writing tools to match the whale’s grandeur, highlighting the challenge of capturing such a vast subject.
Archaeological and Geological Context
The passage then shifts to the whale’s fossil record, explaining that fossil whales have been found in various parts of the world, including Europe and the United States. These fossils belong mostly to the Tertiary period, a geological era that connects ancient extinct creatures with modern species. The discovery of these fossils reveals the whale’s ancient lineage and evolution.
One fascinating story is about the discovery of a massive skeleton in Alabama, initially mistaken for a reptile or even a fallen angel’s bones. Later, it was identified as a whale species long extinct. This illustrates how scientific understanding evolves and how the whale’s skeleton can be misleading in reconstructing the living animal’s shape.
Mythology and Cultural Significance
The author also explores the whale’s place in mythology and history. Ancient Egyptian tablets depict the whale’s fin, showing that this creature was known and revered thousands of years ago. There is even mention of a temple built with whale bones in Africa, surrounded by legends about whales and prophets, including the biblical Jonah.
This blending of science, history, and myth portrays the whale as a timeless, awe-inspiring creature that has captured human imagination across cultures and ages.
Author Background and Creation Context
The style and content suggest the author is deeply knowledgeable in natural history and geology, with practical experience in excavation and stone masonry, which lends credibility to the detailed descriptions of fossils and geological strata. The tone is both scholarly and poetic, mixing scientific facts with imaginative reflections.
This passage likely comes from a 19th-century work focused on natural history, reflecting the era’s fascination with exploration, discovery, and the classification of the natural world. The author’s use of grand language and classical references fits the style of writers like Herman Melville or naturalists of that time.
Educational Value for Children and Students
From this story, children and students can learn:
- The importance of observation and detailed study in understanding natural phenomena.
- How scientific knowledge evolves through discoveries and re-interpretations.
- The concept of fossils and geological time, helping them grasp Earth's long history.
- The whale as an example of biodiversity and evolution.
- The connection between science and culture, showing how animals influence human stories and beliefs.
- Vocabulary enrichment with words like Leviathan, fossiliferous, antediluvian, cetacean, and archaeological.
Practical Applications and Learning Points
- Science classes can use this text to introduce paleontology and marine biology.
- History lessons can explore how ancient cultures viewed animals and nature.
- Literature studies can analyze the author’s use of language and metaphor.
- Students can practice critical thinking by comparing mythological and scientific perspectives.
- The story encourages curiosity about the natural world and the interconnectedness of disciplines.
Reading Comprehension Questions
- What is the main subject of the passage?
- Why does the author say the whale should be treated in an "imperial folio"?
- What period do most fossil whales belong to?
- How was the Alabama skeleton initially misidentified?
- What significance does the whale have in ancient Egyptian culture?
- How does the author describe his feelings when writing about the whale?
- What lesson can we learn about scientific discovery from the story of the Basilosaurus?
- Why does the author mention the temple made of whale bones?
Answers
- The main subject is the whale, especially the Leviathan, and its physical, historical, and cultural significance.
- Because of the whale’s enormous size and complexity, it deserves a large and detailed treatment.
- Most fossil whales belong to the Tertiary period.
- It was initially thought to be a huge reptile or the bones of a fallen angel.
- The whale’s fin was depicted on ancient Egyptian tablets, showing its long-standing cultural importance.
- The author feels overwhelmed and inspired by the whale’s vastness, needing grand words and tools to describe it.
- Scientific discovery is a process of correction and deeper understanding; initial ideas can change with new evidence.
- To illustrate the whale’s cultural and mythical importance, showing how humans have revered it for centuries.
This passage offers a fascinating blend of science, history, and storytelling, making it a valuable resource for young learners to explore the wonders of the natural world and the power of imagination and knowledge combined.
