Life and Adventure in the South PacificJones, John D.
History
Life and Adventure in the South Pacific
Jones, John D.
Emily Morgan (Ship); Oceania -- Description and travel; Whaling
The head of the whale presents in front a thick, blunt appearance,
and constitutes about one third the length of the animal. At its
junction with the body is a protuberance on its back, called the
“bunch of the neck;” immediately back of this is the thickest part
of the body. It then gradually tapers for about another third of
the whole length, when the “small,” as it is called, commences; and
at this point on the back is another and larger prominence of a
pyramidal form, called the “hump,” from which a series of smaller
prominences runs half way down the small, forming the “ridge.” The
body then contracts so much as to become not larger than the body
of a man, and terminates by being expanded on the sides into the
“flukes,” or tail. The flukes resemble somewhat in shape the tail of
a fish, only being placed horizontal instead of perpendicular. In
the larger whales these flukes are from eight to ten feet in length,
and from fourteen to sixteen feet in breadth. The depth of the head
and body is greater than the width.
At the angle formed by the superior and anterior surfaces of the
head, a little on the left side, is the nostril, or “spout-hole,”
which, in the dead animal, presents the appearance of a slit, or
fissure, in form resembling an S, extending longitudinally, and
about twelve inches in length. The “case,” situated in the upper
part of the head, is a large, almost triangular-shaped cavity,
lined by a beautiful glistening membrane, and covered by a thick
layer of muscular fibres and tendons running in various directions,
and finally united by common integuments. This cavity is for the
purpose of containing and secreting an oily fluid, which after death
concretes into a granulated substance of a yellowish-white color—the
spermaceti. The quantity of fluid contained in the case depends on
the size of the whale; from that of a large whale fifteen barrels of
liquid spermaceti are often taken.
Immediately beneath the case, and projecting beyond the lower jaw,
is situated the junk, which is composed of dense cellular tissue,
strengthened by numerous strong tendons and fibres, and infiltrated
with spermaceti.
The mouth is at the base of the head, and continues nearly its
whole length. The lower jaw is pointed in front, and gradually
widens till it is received in the socket of the upper jaw. It
contains forty-two teeth, conical in shape, and, in the large whale,
formidable in appearance. There are none, however, in the upper jaw,
but indentations which receive the points of those in the lower jaw.
Sometimes a few rudimentary teeth are found in the upper jaw, never,
however, projecting beyond the gums, upon which those in the lower
jaw strike when the mouth is closed.
The tongue is of a white color, exceedingly small, and does not
appear to possess the power of very extended motion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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