At the time that Herman Mellville wrote Moby Dick, blue whales were little known. Here is a highly speculative extract from Chapter 32 (“Cetology“) of Moby Dick, which describes the blue whale based on observations of it from a great distance.
Another retiring gentleman, with a brimstone belly, doubtless got by scraping along the Tartarian tiles in some of his profounder divings. He is seldom seen; at least I have never seen him except in the remoter southern seas, and then always at too great a distance to study his countenance. He is never chased; he would run away with rope-walks of line. Prodigies are told of him. Adieu, Sulphur Bottom! I can say nothing more that is true of ye, nor can the oldest Nantucketer.
P.S. no one calls it the sulphur bottomed whale any more!
