CHAPTER V. 

 The Vast. 



Though great and small must always be com- 

 parative terms, the human mind does ordinarily 

 set up some standard of dimensions, for this or 

 that particular class of entities, and is affected 

 with emotions of surprise and admiration, in pro- 

 portion as some examples either exceed or fall 

 short of it. In living creatures, probably, the 

 human body is the tacitly recognised medium of 

 size ; for we call a horse or a buffalo a large ani- 

 mal, a cat or a weasel a small one ; while, in such 

 as pass beyond these limits in either direction, we 

 are conscious that the dimension becomes a promi- 

 nent element in the interest with which we regard 

 them. The first exclamation of one who sees an 

 elephant for the first time, would probably be, 

 "How big he is!" and in like manner the first 

 impression produced by a humming-bird, in most 

 cases, would not be "How beautiful! How glit- 

 tering !"' but "How very small!'' 



I well remember the interest and almost awe 

 with which, on my first voyage across the Atlan- 

 tic, I saw suddenly emerge from the sea, the im- 

 mense black oily back of a whale. It was almost 

 close to the ship, and it rose like a great smooth 

 bank out of the water, gave a sort of wallowing 

 roll, and quietly sank from sight again. The ex- 

 citement of the momentary sight prevented my 

 attempting to estimate its measurement, besides 

 that the entire animal was not exposed, but it 

 seemed to me nearly as large as the vessel in 

 8 113 



