The Fossil Whale

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 measures 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.

Because of its enormous size, the whale is a perfect subject for a long, expansive discussion. Even if you wanted to, you could not compress him. By rights, he should be written about only in an imperial folio, the largest book format. I will not repeat how many furlongs he measures from blowhole to tail, or how many yards around the waist. Just think of the gigantic coils of his intestines. They lie inside him like great cables and ropes coiled in the lowest deck of a warship.

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 archæological, 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 emprise 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.

Since I have undertaken to handle this Leviathan, I must prove myself all-knowing and exhaustive in the task. I must overlook none of the tiniest seeds of life in his blood, and unravel his bowels to their very last coil. I have already described most of his present living habits and anatomical peculiarities. Now I must look at his grandeur from the perspectives of archaeology, fossils, and the world before the Flood. For any creature other than the Leviathan, an ant or a flea, such weighty terms might rightly seem unjustifiably pompous. But when Leviathan is the subject, the case is different. I am eager to stagger into this undertaking under the heaviest words in the dictionary. And let me say that whenever I have needed a dictionary for these discussions, I have always used a huge quarto edition of Johnson. I bought it expressly for this purpose. The famous dictionary maker’s unusually large bulk made him better suited to compile a dictionary for 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.

We often hear of writers who grow with their subject, even when the subject seems ordinary. How much more, then, must I grow as I write of this Leviathan? Without realizing it, I write in letters as large as those on a poster. Give me a condor’s quill! Give me Vesuvius’ crater for an inkwell! Friends, hold my arms! Just writing down my thoughts about this Leviathan exhausts me and makes me faint. My thoughts reach so far that they seem to encompass the whole circle of the sciences. They seem to encompass all generations of whales, men, and mastodons, past, present, and still to come. They seem to encompass all the passing panoramas of empire on earth and throughout the whole universe, including its suburbs. Such is the power of a grand and expansive theme to make us greater! We grow to match its size. To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme. No great and lasting book can ever be written about the flea, though many have tried.

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.

Before turning to Fossil Whales, I present my credentials as a geologist. In my varied life, I have been a stone mason. I have also done a great deal of digging, making ditches, canals, wells, wine vaults, cellars, and cisterns of all sorts. First, I want to remind the reader of the fossils found in the earlier geological layers. They include monsters that are now almost completely extinct. Later remains, found in what are called the Tertiary formations, seem to be connecting links, or at least interrupted links. They lie between those ancient creatures and the creatures whose distant descendants are said to have entered the Ark. All Fossil Whales discovered so far belong to the Tertiary period, the last period before the surface formations. Though none exactly matches any known species living today, they are generally similar enough to be classified 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.

Over the past thirty years, broken fossils of pre-adamite whales have been found at various times and places. These fragments of bones and skeletons have turned up at the base of the Alps, in Lombardy, France, England, and Scotland, and in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Among the more curious remains is part of a skull unearthed in 1779 on the Rue Dauphine in Paris. That short street opens almost directly onto the palace of the Tuileries. Other curious remains include bones unearthed during the excavation of the great docks of Antwerp in Napoleon’s time. Cuvier declared that these fragments belonged to some completely 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.

But by far the most wonderful of all whale relics was the vast, nearly complete skeleton of an extinct monster. It was found in 1842 on Judge Creagh’s plantation in Alabama. The awe-stricken, credulous enslaved people nearby took the bones for those of a fallen angel. The Alabama doctors declared it a huge reptile and named it Basilosaurus. But some of its bones were taken across the sea to Owen, the English anatomist. He found that the supposed reptile was a whale, though of an extinct species. This was a striking example of a fact repeated throughout this book. A whale’s skeleton offers little clue to the shape of its body with its flesh on. So Owen renamed the monster Zeuglodon. In a paper read before the London Geological Society, he described it as one of the most extraordinary creatures wiped out by changes in the earth.

When I stand among these mighty Leviathan skeletons, skulls, tusks, jaws, ribs, and vertebræ, 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 school-boy. 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.

When I stand among these mighty Leviathan skeletons, skulls, tusks, jaws, ribs, and vertebrae, I see resemblances to living sea monsters. But they also resemble the extinct Leviathans of ages past, their immeasurably older ancestors. A flood of thought carries me back to that wondrous age before time itself can be said to have begun. For time began with man. Here Saturn’s gray chaos rolls over me, and I catch dim, chilling glimpses of those Polar eternities. Then, massive walls of ice pressed against what are now the Tropics. Across all 25,000 miles of the world’s circumference, not a hand’s breadth of habitable land could be seen. Then the whole world belonged to the whale. As king of creation, he left his wake along the present lines of the Andes and the Himmalehs. Who can claim a family line like Leviathan’s? Ahab’s harpoon had shed blood older than the Pharaoh’s. Methuselah seems a schoolboy. I look around to shake hands with Shem. I am horrified by the unspeakable terrors of the whale, whose existence predates Moses and has no known origin. Since the whale existed before all time, he must exist after all human 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, abounding in centaurs, griffins, and dolphins, 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.

But Leviathan left more than traces from before Adam in nature’s stone records, and his ancient likeness in limestone and marl. We also find the unmistakable print of his fin on Egyptian tablets. These tablets are so ancient that they seem almost like fossils. About fifty years ago, a carved and painted star map was discovered on a granite ceiling. It was in a room of the great temple of Denderah. The map was full of centaurs, griffins, and dolphins, like the grotesque figures on modern celestial globes. Among them, old Leviathan glided as he did long ago. He was swimming in that star map centuries before Solomon was born.

Nor must there be omitted another strange attestation of the antiquity of the whale, in his own osseous post-diluvian reality, as set down by the venerable John Leo, the old Barbary traveller.

We must not overlook another strange piece of evidence for the whale's ancient existence, in the form of its actual bones from after the Flood. The venerable John Leo, the old Barbary traveler, recorded it.

“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.”

“Not far from the seashore, they have a temple with rafters and beams made of whale bones. Whales of monstrous size often wash up dead on that shore. The common people believe God has given the temple a secret power. They believe no whale can pass the temple without dying immediately. But the truth is that rocks on either side of the temple extend two miles into the sea. These rocks wound the whales when they strike them. They keep an incredibly long whale’s rib as a miracle. The rib lies on the ground with its curved side up, forming an arch. A man on a camel’s back cannot reach the top of the arch. John Leo says the rib was said to have lain there for a hundred years before he saw it. Their historians say a prophet who foretold Mahomet came from this temple. Some even claim that the whale cast the prophet Jonas out 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.

I leave you in this African Temple of the Whale, reader. If you are a Nantucketer and a whaleman, you will worship there in silence.