*Sea Monsters Unmasked* and *Sea Fables Explained* by Henry Lee (1883) — The Public Domain Review

For Lee, the stories about sailors – “Jolly Jack Tars” – can be explained by the natural superstitions he believes sailors possess: “To the best of his belief, he told the truth. He saw a living creature that looked wonderfully human, and his imagination, aided by an inherited superstition, did the rest.” However, the imagination of a certain sailor cited by Lee captures the attention of the 21st century reader; tucked away on page 74 of Sea monsters exposedTo support the description of a whale’s waterspout, Lee quotes from “the remarkable” novel by “Mr. Herman Melville.” The title Lee gives of the book is not Moby Dick, But The whale – as it was called upon its publication in Britain in October 1851 (it was retitled for publication in the United States a month later). Lee’s praise also reflects how contemporary British critics viewed the book more favorably than their American counterparts (infamously). It is notable that Lee, despite his views on sailors’ tendency to embellish, praises Melville’s accuracy based on experience; Although Melville is “not a naturalist,” he has “served before the mast in a sperm whale hunter and had his share in all the hardships and dangers of the hunt.”