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Chapter 2. The Pros and Cons

           Thesolutionitproposedgave,atleast,fulllibertytotheimagination.Thehumanminddelightsingrandconceptionsofsupernaturalbeings.Andtheseaispreciselytheirbestvehicle,theonlymediumthroughwhichthesegiants(againstwhichterrestrialanimals,suchaselephantsorrhinoceroses,areasnothing)canbeproducedordeveloped.

           Theindustrialandcommercialpaperstreatedthequestionchieflyfromthispointofview.TheShippingandMercantileGazette,theLloyd’sList,thePacket-Boat,andtheMaritimeandColonialReview,allpapersdevotedtoinsurancecompanieswhichthreatenedtoraisetheirratesofpremium,wereunanimousonthispoint.Publicopinionhadbeenpronounced.TheUnitedStateswerethefirstinthefield;andinNewYorktheymadepreparationsforanexpeditiondestinedtopursuethisnarwhal.Afrigateofgreatspeed,theAbrahamLincoln,wasputincommissionassoonaspossible.ThearsenalswereopenedtoCommanderFarragut,whohastenedthearmingofhisfrigate;but,asitalwayshappens,themomentitwasdecidedtopursuethemonster,themonsterdidnotappear.Fortwomonthsnoonehearditspokenof.Noshipmetwithit.Itseemedasifthisunicornknewoftheplotsweavingaroundit.Ithadbeensomuchtalkedof,eventhroughtheAtlanticcable,thatjesterspretendedthatthisslenderflyhadstoppedatelegramonitspassageandwasmakingthemostofit.

           Sowhenthefrigatehadbeenarmedforalongcampaign,andprovidedwithformidablefishingapparatus,noonecouldtellwhatcoursetopursue.Impatiencegrewapace,when,onthe2ndofJuly,theylearnedthatasteamerofthelineofSanFrancisco,fromCaliforniatoShanghai,hadseentheanimalthreeweeksbeforeintheNorthPacificOcean.

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