Моби Дик

The Fossil Whale

           Thenthewholeworldwasthewhale’s;and,kingofcreation,helefthiswakealongthepresentlinesoftheAndesandtheHimmalehs.WhocanshowapedigreelikeLeviathan?Ahab’sharpoonhadshedolderbloodthanthePharaoh’s.Methuselahseemsaschoolboy.IlookroundtoshakehandswithShem.Iamhorror-struckatthisantemosaic,unsourcedexistenceoftheunspeakableterrorsofthewhale,which,havingbeenbeforealltime,mustneedsexistafterallhumaneagesareover.

           ButnotalonehasthisLeviathanlefthispre-adamitetracesinthestereotypeplatesofnature,andinlimestoneandmarlbequeathedhisancientbust;butuponEgyptiantablets,whoseantiquityseemstoclaimforthemanalmostfossiliferouscharacter,wefindtheunmistakableprintofhisfin.InanapartmentofthegreattempleofDenderah,somefiftyyearsago,therewasdiscovereduponthegraniteceilingasculpturedandpaintedplanisphere,similartothegrotesquefiguresonthecelestialglobeofthemoderns.Glidingamongthem,oldLeviathanswamasofyore;wasthereswimminginthatplanisphere,centuriesbeforeSolomonwascradled.

           Normusttherebeomittedanotherstrangeattestationoftheantiquityofthewhale,inhisownosseouspostdiluvianreality,assetdownbythevenerableJohnLeo,theoldBarbarytraveller.

           "NotfarfromtheSea-side,theyhaveaTemple,theRaftersandBeamsofwhicharemadeofWhale-Bones;forWhalesofamonstroussizeareoftentimescastupdeaduponthatshore

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