Моби Дик

The Fossil Whale

           Theawe-strickencredulousslavesinthevicinitytookitforthebonesofoneofthefallenangels.TheAlabamadoctorsdeclareditahugereptile,andbestoweduponitthenameofBasilosaurus.ButsomespecimenbonesofitbeingtakenacrosstheseatoOwen,theEnglishAnatomist,itturnedoutthatthisallegedreptilewasawhale,thoughofadepartedspecies.Asignificantillustrationofthefact,againandagainrepeatedinthisbook,thattheskeletonofthewhalefurnishesbutlittlecluetotheshapeofhisfullyinvestedbody.SoOwenrechristenedthemonsterZeuglodon;andinhispaperreadbeforetheLondonGeologicalSociety,pronouncedit,insubstance,oneofthemostextraordinarycreatureswhichthemutationsoftheglobehaveblottedoutofexistence.

           WhenIstandamongthesemightyLeviathanskeletons,skulls,tusks,jaws,ribs,andvertebrae,allcharacterizedbypartialresemblancestotheexistingbreedsofsea-monsters;butatthesametimebearingontheotherhandsimilaraffinitiestotheannihilatedantichronicalLeviathans,theirincalculableseniors;Iam,byaflood,bornebacktothatwondrousperiod,eretimeitselfcanbesaidtohavebegun;fortimebeganwithman.HereSaturn’sgreychaosrollsoverme,andIobtaindim,shudderingglimpsesintothosePolareternities;whenwedgedbastionsoficepressedharduponwhatarenowtheTropics;andinallthe25,000milesofthisworld’scircumference,notaninhabitablehand’sbreadthoflandwasvisible.

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