CHAPTER 24 The Advocate

AsQueequegandIarenowfairlyembarkedinthisbusinessofwhaling;andasthisbusinessofwhalinghassomehowcometoberegardedamonglandsmenasaratherunpoeticalanddisreputablepursuit;therefore,Iamallanxietytoconvinceye,yelandsmen,oftheinjusticeherebydonetoushuntersofwhales.

Inthefirstplace,itmaybedeemedalmostsuperfluoutoestablishthefact,thatamongpeopleatlarge,thebusinessofwhalingisnotaccountedonalevelwithwhatarecalledtheliberalprofessions.Ifastrangerwereintroducedintoanymiscellaneousmetropolitansociety,itwouldbutslightlyadvancethegeneralopinionofhismerits,werehepresentedtothecompanyasaharpooneer,say;andifinemulationofthenavalofficersheshouldappendtheinitialsS.W.F.(SpermWhaleFishery)tohisvisitingcard,suchaprocedurewouldbedeemedpre-eminentlypresumingandridiculous.

Doubtlessoneleadingreasonwhytheworlddeclineshonoringuswhalemen,isthis:theythinkthat,atbest,ourvocationamountstoabutcheringsortofbusiness;andthatwhenactivelyengagedtherein,wearesurroundedbyallmannerofdefilements.Butchersweare,thatistrue.Butbutchers,also,andbutchersofthebloodiestbadgehavebeenallMartialCommanderswhomtheworldinvariablydelightstohonor.Andasforthematteroftheallegeduncleanlinessofourbusiness,yeshallsoonbeinitiatedintocertainfactshithertoprettygenerallyunknown,andwhich,uponthewhole,willtriumphantlyplantthespermwhaleshipatleastamongthecleanliestthingsofthistidyearth.Butevengrantingthechargeinquestiontobetrue;whatdisorderedslipperydecksofawhale-shiparecomparabletotheunspeakablecarrionofthosebattle-fieldsfromwhichsomanysoldiersreturntodrinkinallladies'plaudits?Andiftheideaofperilsomuchenhancesthepopularconceitofthesoldier'sprofession;letmeassureyethatmanyaveteranwhohasfreelymarcheduptoabattery,wouldquicklyrecoilattheapparitionofthespermwhale'svasttail,fanningintoeddiestheairoverhishead.ForwhatarethecomprehensibleterrorsofmancomparedwiththeinterlinkedterrorsandwondersofGod!

But,thoughtheworldscoutsatuswhalehunters,yetdoesitunwittinglypayustheprofoundesthomage;yea,anall-aboundingadoration!foralmostallthetapers,lamps,andcandlesthatburnroundtheglobe,burn,asbeforesomanyshrines,toourglory!

Butlookatthismatterinotherlights;weighitinallsortsofscales;seewhatwewhalemenare,andhavebeen.

WhydidtheDutchinDeWitt'stimehaveadmiralsoftheirwhalingfleets?WhydidLouisXVI.ofFrance,athisownpersonalexpense,fitoutwhalingshipsfromDunkirk,andpolitelyinvitetothattownsomescoreortwooffamiliesfromourownislandofNantucket?WhydidBritainbetweentheyears1750and1788paytoherwhalemeninbountiesupwardsof￡1,000,000?Andlastly,howcomesitthatwewhalemenofAmericanowoutnumberalltherestofthebandedwhalemenintheworld;sailanavyofupwardsofsevenhundredvessels;mannedbyeighteenthousandmen;yearlyconsuming4,000,000ofdollars;theshipsworth,atthetimeofsailing,$20,000,000!andeveryyearimportingintoourharborsawellreapedharvestof$7,000,000.Howcomesallthis,iftherebenotsomethingpuissantinwhaling?

Butthisisnotthehalf;lookagain.

Ifreelyassert,thatthecosmopolitephilosophercannot,forhislife,pointoutonesinglepeacefulinfluence,whichwithinthelastsixtyyearshasoperatedmorepotentiallyuponthewholebroadworld,takeninoneaggregate,thanthehighandmightybusinessofwhaling.Onewayandanother,ithasbegotteneventssoremarkableinthemselves,andsocontinuouslymomentousintheirsequentialissues,thatwhalingmaywellberegardedasthatEgyptianmother,whoboreoffspringthemselvespregnantfromherwomb.Itwouldbeahopeless,endlesstasktocatalogueallthesethings.Letahandfulsuffice.Formanyyearspastthewhale-shiphasbeenthepioneerinferretingouttheremotestandleastknownpartsoftheearth.Shehasexploredseasandarchipelagoeswhichhadnochart,wherenoCookorVancouverhadeversailed.IfAmericanandEuropeanmen-of-warnowpeacefullyrideinoncesavageharbors,letthemfiresalutestothehonorandgloryofthewhale-ship,whichoriginallyshowedthemtheway,andfirstinterpretedbetweenthemandthesavages.TheymaycelebrateastheywilltheheroesofExploringExpeditions,yourCooks,yourKrusensterns;butIsaythatscoresofanonymousCaptainshavesailedoutofNantucket,thatwereasgreat,andgreaterthanyourCookandyourKrusenstern.Forintheirsuccourlessemptyhandedness,they,intheheathenishsharkedwaters,andbythebeachesofunrecorded,javelinislands,battledwithvirginwondersandterrorsthatCookwithallhismarinesandmusketswouldnotwillinglyhavedared.AllthatismadesuchaflourishofintheoldSouthSeaVoyages,thosethingswerebutthelife-timecommonplacesofourheroicNantucketers.Often,adventureswhichVancouverdedicatesthreechaptersto,thesemenaccountedunworthyofbeingsetdownintheship'scommonlog.Ah,theworld!Oh,theworld!

UntilthewhalefisheryroundedCapeHorn,nocommercebutcolonial,scarcelyanyintercoursebutcolonial,wascarriedonbetweenEuropeandthelonglineoftheopulentSpanishprovincesonthePacificcoast.ItwasthewhalemanwhofirstbrokethroughthejealouspolicyoftheSpanishcrown,touchingthosecolonies;and,ifspacepermitted,itmightbedistinctlyshownhowfromthosewhalemenatlasteventuatedtheliberationofPeru,Chili,andBoliviafromtheyokeofOldSpain,andtheestablishmentoftheeternaldemocracyinthoseparts.

ThatgreatAmericaontheothersideofthesphere,Australia,wasgiventotheenlightenedworldbythewhaleman.Afteritsfirstblunder-borndiscoverybyaDutchman,allothershipslongshunnedthoseshoresaspestiferouslybarbarous;butthewhale-shiptouchedthere.Thewhale-shipisthetruemotherofthatnowmightycolony.Moreover,intheinfancyofthefirstAustraliansettlement,theemigrantswereseveraltimessavedfromstarvationbythebenevolentbiscuitofthewhale-shipluckilydroppingananchorintheirwaters.TheuncountedislesofallPolynesiaconfessthesametruth,anddocommercialhomagetothewhale-ship,thatclearedthewayforthemissionaryandthemerchant,andinmanycasescarriedtheprimitivemissionariestotheirfirstdestinations.Ifthatdouble-boltedland,Japan,isevertobecomehospitable,itisthewhale-shipalonetowhomthecreditwillbedue;foralreadysheisonthethreshold.

Butif,inthefaceofallthis,youstilldeclarethatwhalinghasno?stheticallynobleassociationsconnectedwithit,thenamIreadytoshiverfiftylanceswithyouthere,andunhorseyouwithasplithelmeteverytime.

Thewhalehasnofamousauthor,andwhalingnofamouschronicler,youwillsay.

Thewhalenofamousauthor,andwhalingnofamouschronicler?WhowrotethefirstaccountofourLeviathan?WhobutmightyJob!Andwhocomposedthefirstnarrativeofawhaling-voyage?Who,butnolessaprincethanAlfredtheGreat,who,withhisownroyalpen,tookdownthewordsfromOther,theNorwegianwhale-hunterofthosetimes!AndwhopronouncedourglowingeulogyinParliament?Who,butEdmundBurke!

Trueenough,butthenwhalementhemselvesarepoordevils;theyhavenogoodbloodintheirveins.

Nogoodbloodintheirveins?Theyhavesomethingbetterthanroyalbloodthere.ThegrandmotherofBenjaminFranklinwasMaryMorrel;afterwards,bymarriage,MaryFolger,oneoftheoldsettlersofNantucket,andtheancestresstoalonglineofFolgersandharpooneers—allkithandkintonobleBenjamin—thisdaydartingthebarbedironfromonesideoftheworldtotheother.

Goodagain;butthenallconfessthatsomehowwhalingisnotrespectable.

Whalingnotrespectable?Whalingisimperial!ByoldEnglishstatutorylaw,thewhaleisdeclared"aroyalfish."[1]

Oh,that'sonlynominal!Thewhalehimselfhasneverfiguredinanygrandimposingway.

Thewhaleneverfiguredinanygrandimposingway?InoneofthemightytriumphsgiventoaRomangeneraluponhisenteringtheworld'scapital,thebonesofawhale,broughtallthewayfromtheSyriancoast,werethemostconspicuousobjectinthecymballedprocession.[2]

Grantit,sinceyouciteit;but,saywhatyouwill,thereisnorealdignityinwhaling.

Nodignityinwhaling?Thedignityofourcallingtheveryheavensattest.CetusisaconstellationintheSouth!Nomore!DrivedownyourhatinpresenceoftheCzar,andtakeitofftoQueequeg!Nomore!Iknowamanthat,inhislifetime,hastakenthreehundredandfiftywhales.Iaccountthatmanmorehonorablethanthatgreatcaptainofantiquitywhoboastedoftakingasmanywalledtowns.

And,asforme,if,byanypossibility,therebeanyasyetundiscoveredprimethinginme;ifIshalleverdeserveanyrealreputeinthatsmallbuthighhushedworldwhichImightnotbeunreasonablyambitiousof;ifhereafterIshalldoanythingthat,uponthewhole,amanmightratherhavedonethantohaveleftundone;if,atmydeath,myexecutors,ormoreproperlymycreditors,findanypreciousMSS.inmydesk,thenhereIprospectivelyascribeallthehonorandtheglorytowhaling;forawhale-shipwasmyYaleCollegeandmyHarvard.

[1]Seesubsequentchaptersforsomethingmoreonthishead.

[2]Seesubsequentchaptersforsomethingmoreonthishead.