THE WHITE WHALE wi 
quake, somewhere about that time, did actually do great mischief along 
the Spanish land. But I should not much wonder, if, in the darkness 
of that early hour of the morning, the shock was after all caused by an 
unseen whale vertically bumping the hull from beneath. 
I might proceed with several more examples, one way or another 
known to me, of the great power and malice at times of the sperm whale. 
In more than one instance, he has been known, not only to chase the 
assailing boats hack to their ships, hut to pursue the ship itself, and 
long withstand all the lances hurled at him from its decks. The Eng- 
lish ship Pusie Hall can tell a story on that head; and, as for his 
strength, let me say, that there have been examples where the lines 
attached to a running sperm whale have, in a calm, been transferred to 
the ship, and secured there; the whale towing her great hull through 
the water, as a. horse walks off with a cart. Again, it is very often 
observed that, if the sperm whale once struck is allowed time to rally, 
he then acts, not so often with blind rage, as with wilful, deliberate de- 
signs of destruction to his pursuers ; nor is it without conveying some 
eloquent indication of his character, that upon being attacked he will 
frequently open his mouth, and retain it in that dread expansion for 
several consecutive minutes. But I must be content with only one 
more and a concluding illustration; a remarkable and most significant 
one, by which you will not fail to see, that not only is the most marvel- 
lous event in this book corroborated by plain facts of the present day, 
but that these marvels (like all marvels) are mere repetitions of the 
ages ; so that for the millionth time we say amen with Solomon — Verily 
there is nothing new under the sun. 
In the sixth Christian century lived Procopius, a Christian magis- 
trate of Constantinople, in the days when Justinian was Emperor and 
Belisarius general. As many know, he wrote the history of his own 
times, a work every way of uncommon value. By the best authorities, 
he has always been considered a most trustworthy and unexaggerating 
historian, except in some one or two particulars, not at all affecting the 
matter presently to be mentioned. 
How, in this history of his, Procopius mentions that, during the term 
of his prefecture at Constantinople, a great sea-monster was captured in 
the neighbouring Propontis, or Sea of Marmora, after having destroyed 
vessels at intervals in those waters for a period of more than fifty years. 
