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Chapter 1. A Runaway Reef

           Nowthelargestwhales, thosewhichfrequentthosepartsofthesearoundtheAleutian,Kulammak,andUmgullichislands, haveneverexceededthelengthofsixtyyards, iftheyattainthat. 

           Ineveryplaceofgreatresortthemonsterwasthefashion. Theysangofitinthecafes,ridiculeditinthepapers,andrepresenteditonthestage. Allkindsofstorieswerecirculatedregardingit. Thereappearedinthepaperscaricaturesofeverygiganticandimaginarycreature, fromthewhitewhale,theterrible"MobyDick"ofsub-arcticregions,totheimmensekraken, whosetentaclescouldentangleashipoffivehundredtonsandhurryitintotheabyssoftheocean. Thelegendsofancienttimeswereevenrevived. 

           Thenburstforththeunendingargumentbetweenthebelieversandtheunbelieversinthesocietiesofthewiseandthescientificjournals. "Thequestionofthemonster"inflamedallminds. Editorsofscientificjournals, quarrellingwithbelieversinthesupernatural,spilledseasofinkduringthismemorablecampaign, someevendrawingblood; forfromthesea-serpenttheycametodirectpersonalities. 

           Duringthefirstmonthsoftheyear1867 thequestionseemedburied, nevertorevive,whennewfactswerebroughtbeforethepublic. Itwasthennolongerascientificproblemtobesolved, butarealdangerseriouslytobeavoided. Thequestiontookquiteanothershape. Themonsterbecameasmallisland,arock,areef,butareefofindefiniteandshiftingproportions. 

           Onthe5thofMarch,1867,theMoravian, oftheMontrealOceanCompany,findingherselfduringthenightin27º30’lat.and72º15’long., struckonherstarboardquarterarock, markedinnochartforthatpartofthesea. 

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