The Advocate

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

           Inthefirstplace,itmaybedeemedalmostsuperfluoustoestablishthefact,thatamongpeopleatlarge,thebusinessofwhalingisnotaccountedonalevelwithwhatarecalledtheliberalprofessions.Ifastrangerwereintroducedintoanymiscellaneousmetropolitansociety,itwouldbutslightlyadvancethegeneralopinionofhismerits,werehepresentedtothecompanyasaharpooneer,say;andifinemulationofthenavalofficersheshouldappendtheinitialsS.W.F.(SpermWhaleFishery)tohisvistingcard,suchaprocedurewouldbedeemedpreeminentlypresumingandridiculous.

           Doubtlessoneleadingreasonwhytheworlddeclineshonoringuswhalemen,isthis:theythinkthat,atbest,ourvocationamountstoabutcheringsortofbusiness;andthatwhenactivelyengagedtherein,wearesurroundedbyallmannerofdefilements.Butchersweare,thatistrue.Butbutchers,also,andbutchersofthebloodiestbadgehavebeenallMartialCommanderswhomtheworldinvariablydelightstohonor.Andasforthematteroftheallegeduncleanlinessofourbusiness,yeshallsoonbeinitiatedintocertainfactshithertoprettygenerallyunknown,andwhich,uponthewhole,willtriumphantlyplantthespermwhale-shipatleastamongthecleanliestthingsofthistidyearth.Butevengrantingthechargeinquestiontobetrue;whatdisorderedslipperydecksofawhale-shiparecomparabletotheunspeakablecarrionofthosebattle-fieldsfromwhichsomanysoldiersreturntodrinkinallladies’plaudits?

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