God help thee, old man, thy thoughts have created a creature in thee;
and he whose intense thinking thus makes him a Prometheus;
a vulture feeds upon that heart for ever; that vulture the very
creature he creates.
CHAPTER 45
The Affidavit
So far as what there may be of a narrative in this book; and, indeed,
as indirectly touching one or two very interesting and curious
particulars in the habits of sperm whales, the foregoing chapter, in its
earlier part, is as important a one as will be found in this volume;
but the leading matter of it requires to be still further and more
familiarly enlarged upon, in order to be adequately understood,
and moreover to take away any incredulity which a profound ignorance
of the entire subject may induce in some minds, as to the natural
verity of the main points of this affair.
I care not to perform this part of my task methodically;
but shall be content to produce the desired impression
by separate citations of items, practically or reliably known
to me as a whaleman; and from these citations, I take it--
the conclusion aimed at will naturally follow of itself.
First: I have personally known three instances where a whale,
after receiving a harpoon, has effected a complete escape;
and, after an interval (in one instance of three years), has been
again struck by the same hand, and slain; when the two irons,
both marked by the same private cypher, have been taken from the body.
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