Schools and Teachers

The previous chapter gave account of an immense body or herd of Sperm Whales, and there was also then given the probable cause inducing those vast aggregations.

The previous chapter described an immense herd of Sperm Whales. It also explained the probable reason they gathered in such large groups.

Now, though such great bodies are at times encountered, yet, as must have been seen, even at the present day, small detached bands are occasionally observed, embracing from twenty to fifty individuals each. Such bands are known as schools. They generally are of two sorts; those composed almost entirely of females, and those mustering none but young vigorous males, or bulls, as they are familiarly designated.

Though such large groups are sometimes encountered, smaller, separate groups are occasionally seen even today, as we have seen. Each of these groups contains twenty to fifty individuals. They are known as schools. There are generally two kinds: those made up almost entirely of females, and those consisting only of young, vigorous males, or bulls, as they are commonly called.

In cavalier attendance upon the school of females, you invariably see a male of full grown magnitude, but not old; who, upon any alarm, evinces his gallantry by falling in the rear and covering the flight of his ladies. In truth, this gentleman is a luxurious Ottoman, swimming about over the watery world, surroundingly accompanied by all the solaces and endearments of the harem. The contrast between this Ottoman and his concubines is striking; because, while he is always of the largest leviathanic proportions, the ladies, even at full growth, are not more than one-third of the bulk of an average-sized male. They are comparatively delicate, indeed; I dare say, not to exceed half a dozen yards round the waist. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied, that upon the whole they are hereditarily entitled to en bon point.

A fully grown, but not old, male is always seen attending a school of females like a gentleman escort. At any alarm, he gallantly falls behind and covers his ladies’ escape. In truth, this gentleman is a luxurious Ottoman, swimming through the watery world surrounded by all the comforts and affections of a harem. The contrast between this Ottoman and his concubines is striking. He is always of the largest whale proportions. The ladies, even when fully grown, are no more than one-third the bulk of an average-sized male. They are comparatively delicate, indeed. I dare say, they measure no more than half a dozen yards around the waist. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that, on the whole, they inherit a claim to plumpness.

It is very curious to watch this harem and its lord in their indolent ramblings. Like fashionables, they are for ever on the move in leisurely search of variety. You meet them on the Line in time for the full flower of the Equatorial feeding season, having just returned, perhaps, from spending the summer in the Northern seas, and so cheating summer of all unpleasant weariness and warmth. By the time they have lounged up and down the promenade of the Equator awhile, they start for the Oriental waters in anticipation of the cool season there, and so evade the other excessive temperature of the year.

It is curious to watch this harem and its lord wander lazily about. Like fashionable people, they are always on the move, leisurely seeking variety. You meet them at the Equator, just in time for the height of the feeding season there. Perhaps they have just returned from spending the summer in the Northern seas. In this way, they escape all the unpleasant weariness and warmth of summer. After lounging up and down the Equator as if it were a promenade, they set off for Oriental waters. They go in anticipation of the cool season there, and so escape the other extreme temperature of the year.

When serenely advancing on one of these journeys, if any strange suspicious sights are seen, my lord whale keeps a wary eye on his interesting family. Should any unwarrantably pert young Leviathan coming that way, presume to draw confidentially close to one of the ladies, with what prodigious fury the Bashaw assails him, and chases him away! High times, indeed, if unprincipled young rakes like him are to be permitted to invade the sanctity of domestic bliss; though do what the Bashaw will, he cannot keep the most notorious Lothario out of his bed; for, alas! all fish bed in common. As ashore, the ladies often cause the most terrible duels among their rival admirers; just so with the whales, who sometimes come to deadly battle, and all for love. They fence with their long lower jaws, sometimes locking them together, and so striving for the supremacy like elks that warringly interweave their antlers. Not a few are captured having the deep scars of these encounters,—furrowed heads, broken teeth, scolloped fins; and in some instances, wrenched and dislocated mouths.

When his lordship the whale is swimming peacefully along on one of these journeys, he keeps a wary eye on his fascinating family if he sees anything strange or suspicious. If some boldly impertinent young Leviathan comes along and dares to get cozy with one of the ladies, the Bashaw attacks him in a tremendous fury and chases him away! Things have come to a pretty pass if a shameless young rake like that can invade the sanctity of domestic bliss. Yet whatever the Bashaw does, he cannot keep the most notorious Lothario out of his bed. For, alas, all fish sleep together. Just as on land, the ladies often inspire terrible duels between rival admirers. So it is with whales, who sometimes fight to the death, all for love. They fence with their long lower jaws, sometimes locking them together. They struggle for supremacy like fighting elks locking antlers. Many whales are caught bearing deep scars from these encounters: furrowed heads, broken teeth, and notched fins. Some even have twisted and dislocated mouths.

But supposing the invader of domestic bliss to betake himself away at the first rush of the harem’s lord, then is it very diverting to watch that lord. Gently he insinuates his vast bulk among them again and revels there awhile, still in tantalizing vicinity to young Lothario, like pious Solomon devoutly worshipping among his thousand concubines. Granting other whales to be in sight, the fishermen will seldom give chase to one of these Grand Turks; for these Grand Turks are too lavish of their strength, and hence their unctuousness is small. As for the sons and the daughters they beget, why, those sons and daughters must take care of themselves; at least, with only the maternal help. For like certain other omnivorous roving lovers that might be named, my Lord Whale has no taste for the nursery, however much for the bower; and so, being a great traveller, he leaves his anonymous babies all over the world; every baby an exotic. In good time, nevertheless, as the ardour of youth declines; as years and dumps increase; as reflection lends her solemn pauses; in short, as a general lassitude overtakes the sated Turk; then a love of ease and virtue supplants the love for maidens; our Ottoman enters upon the impotent, repentant, admonitory stage of life, forswears, disbands the harem, and grown to an exemplary, sulky old soul, goes about all alone among the meridians and parallels saying his prayers, and warning each young Leviathan from his amorous errors.

But suppose the intruder on domestic bliss flees when the lord of the harem first charges. Then watching that lord is very entertaining. He gently slips his enormous bulk back among his females and revels there for a while. He remains tantalizingly close to young Lothario, like pious Solomon devoutly worshipping among his thousand concubines. If other whales are in sight, fishermen will seldom chase one of these Grand Turks. For these Grand Turks spend their strength too freely, and so yield little oil. As for the sons and daughters they father, those sons and daughters must take care of themselves. At least, they have only their mothers to help them. Like certain other indiscriminate, wandering lovers one might name, my Lord Whale has no taste for the nursery, however much he enjoys the bedroom. And so, as a great traveler, he leaves his unnamed babies all over the world, every baby a foreigner. In time, though, the fire of youth fades. The years and gloomy moods increase, and reflection brings its solemn pauses. In short, a general weariness overtakes the sated Turk. Then a love of ease and virtue replaces his love of maidens. Our Ottoman enters the impotent, repentant, moralizing stage of life. He renounces his harem and sends its members away. Now an exemplary, sulky old soul, he travels alone across the latitudes and longitudes, saying his prayers. He also warns every young Leviathan against his own romantic errors.

Now, as the harem of whales is called by the fishermen a school, so is the lord and master of that school technically known as the schoolmaster. It is therefore not in strict character, however admirably satirical, that after going to school himself, he should then go abroad inculcating not what he learned there, but the folly of it. His title, schoolmaster, would very naturally seem derived from the name bestowed upon the harem itself, but some have surmised that the man who first thus entitled this sort of Ottoman whale, must have read the memoirs of Vidocq, and informed himself what sort of a country-schoolmaster that famous Frenchman was in his younger days, and what was the nature of those occult lessons he inculcated into some of his pupils.

Fishermen call a whale’s harem a school, and its lord and master is technically known as the schoolmaster. So it is not strictly in character, however wonderfully satirical, for him to attend school himself and then go out teaching not what he learned there, but how foolish it was. His title, schoolmaster, would naturally seem to come from the name given to the harem itself. But some have guessed that whoever first gave this kind of Ottoman whale the title must have read Vidocq’s memoirs. He must have learned what kind of country schoolmaster that famous Frenchman was in his younger days, and what sort of secret lessons he taught some of his pupils.

The same secludedness and isolation to which the schoolmaster whale betakes himself in his advancing years, is true of all aged Sperm Whales. Almost universally, a lone whale—as a solitary Leviathan is called—proves an ancient one. Like venerable moss-bearded Daniel Boone, he will have no one near him but Nature herself; and her he takes to wife in the wilderness of waters, and the best of wives she is, though she keeps so many moody secrets.

All aged Sperm Whales seek the same seclusion and isolation as the schoolmaster whale does in his later years. A lone whale, as a solitary Leviathan is called, is almost always an old one. Like the venerable, moss-bearded Daniel Boone, he wants no one near him but Nature herself. He takes her as his wife in the wilderness of waters. She is the best of wives, though she keeps so many dark secrets.

The schools composing none but young and vigorous males, previously mentioned, offer a strong contrast to the harem schools. For while those female whales are characteristically timid, the young males, or forty-barrel-bulls, as they call them, are by far the most pugnacious of all Leviathans, and proverbially the most dangerous to encounter; excepting those wondrous grey-headed, grizzled whales, sometimes met, and these will fight you like grim fiends exasperated by a penal gout.

The schools mentioned earlier, made up entirely of young, vigorous males, contrast sharply with the harem schools. The female whales are characteristically timid. The young males, known as forty-barrel-bulls, are by far the most aggressive of all Leviathans. They are famously the most dangerous to encounter, except for the remarkable grey-headed, grizzled whales sometimes encountered. These older whales will fight you like grim demons enraged by the agony of gout.

The Forty-barrel-bull schools are larger than the harem schools. Like a mob of young collegians, they are full of fight, fun, and wickedness, tumbling round the world at such a reckless, rollicking rate, that no prudent underwriter would insure them any more than he would a riotous lad at Yale or Harvard. They soon relinquish this turbulence though, and when about three-fourths grown, break up, and separately go about in quest of settlements, that is, harems.

The Forty-barrel-bull schools are larger than the harem schools. Like a crowd of young college students, they are full of fighting, fun, and mischief. They roam the world so recklessly and wildly that no sensible insurer would cover them, any more than a rowdy Yale or Harvard student. Soon, though, the bulls leave this wild behavior behind. When they are about three-fourths grown, the schools break up. Each bull then goes off in search of a settlement, that is, a harem.

Another point of difference between the male and female schools is still more characteristic of the sexes. Say you strike a Forty-barrel-bull—poor devil! all his comrades quit him. But strike a member of the harem school, and her companions swim around her with every token of concern, sometimes lingering so near her and so long, as themselves to fall a prey.

Another difference between male and female schools is even more characteristic of the sexes. Suppose you strike a Forty-barrel-bull. Poor devil! All his companions abandon him. But if you strike a member of a harem school, her companions swim around her, showing every sign of concern. Sometimes they stay so close to her for so long that they become prey themselves.