In most land animals there are certain valves or flood-gates
in many of their veins, whereby when wounded, the blood is in
some degree at least instantly shut off in certain directions.
Not so with the whale; one of whose peculiarities it is,
to have an entire non-valvular structure of the blood-vessels,
so that when pierced even by so small a point as a harpoon,
a deadly drain is at once begun upon his whole arterial system;
and when this is heightened by the extraordinary pressure
of water at a great distance below the surface, his life
may be said to pour from him in incessant streams.
Yet so vast is the quantity of blood in him, and so distant
and numerous its interior fountains, that he will keep
thus bleeding and bleeding for a considerable period;
even as in a drought a river will flow, whose source is
in the well-springs of far-off and indiscernible hills.
Even now, when the boats pulled upon this whale, and perilously
drew over his swaying flukes, and the lances were darted into him,
they were followed by steady jets from the new made wound,
which kept continually playing, while the natural spout-hole
in his head was only at intervals, however rapid, sending its
affrighted moisture into the air.
Pages:
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585