333 
THE WHITE WHALE 
noble aspirations, prematurely cut off in the warm flush and May of 
life, with all their panting lard about them ; even these brawny buoyant 
heroes do sometimes sink. 
Be it said, however, that the Sperm Whale is far less liable to this 
accident than any ether species. Where one of that sort goes down, 
twenty Bight Whales do. This difference in the species is no doubt 
imputable in no small degree to the greater quantity of bone in the 
Bight Whale; his Venetian blinds alone sometimes weighing more 
than a ton; from this incumbrance the Sperm Whale is wholly free. 
But there are instances where, after the lapse of many hours or several 
days, the sunken whale rises again, more buoyant than in life. But 
the reason of this is obvious. Gases are generated in him; he swells 
to a prodigious magnitude ; becomes a sort of animal balloon. A line- 
of-battle ship could hardly keep him under then. In the Shore Whal- 
ing, on soundings, among the Bays of New Zealand, when a Bight 
Whale gives token of sinking, they fasten buoys to him, with plenty 
of rope; so that when the body has gone down, they know where to 
look for it when it shall have ascended again. 
It was not long after the sinking of the body that a cry was heard 
from the Pequod’s mastheads, announcing that the J ungfrau was again 
lowering her boats; though the only spout in sight was that of a Bin- 
Back, belonging to the species of uncapturable whales, because of its 
incredible power of swimming. Nevertheless, the Fin-Back’s spout is 
so similar to the Sperm Whale’s, that by unskilful fishermen it is often 
mistaken for it. And consequently Derick and all his host were now 
in valiant chase of this unnearable brute. The Virgin crowding all 
sail, made after her four young keels, and thus they all disappeared 
far to leeward, still in bold, hopeful chase. 
Oh ! many are the Fin-Backs, and many are the Dericks, my friend. 
CHAPTEB LXXXI 
THE HONOUR AND GLORY OF WHALING 
There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness is the 
true method. 
