English
ItwasquitelateintheeveningwhenthelittleMosscamesnuglytoanchor,andQueequegandIwentashore;sowecouldattendtonobusinessthatday,atleastnonebutasupperandabed.
ThelandlordoftheSpouter-InnhadrecommendedustohiscousinHoseaHusseyoftheTryPots,whomheassertedtobetheproprietorofoneofthebestkepthotelsinallNantucket,andmoreoverhehadassuredusthatCousinHosea,ashecalledhim,wasfamousforhischowders.
Inshort,heplainlyhintedthatwecouldnotpossiblydobetterthantrypot-luckattheTryPots.
Butthedirectionshchadgivenusaboutkeepingayellowwarehouseonourstarboardhandtillweopenedawhitechurchtothelarboard,andthenkeepingthatonthelarboardhandtillwemadeacornerthreepointstothestarboard,andthatdone,thenaskthefirstmanwemetwheretheplacewas;thesecrookeddirectionsofhisverymuchpuzzledusatfirst,especiallyas,attheoutset,Queequeginsistedthattheyellowwarehouse-ourfirstpointofdeparture-mustbeleftonthelarboardhand,whereasIhadunderstoodPeterCoffintosayitwasonthestarboard.
However,bydintofbeatingaboutalittleinthedark,andnowandthenknockingupapeacefulinhabitanttoinquiretheway,weatlastcametosomethingwhichtherewasnomistaking.
Twoenormouswoodenpotspaintedblack,andsuspendedbyasses’ears,swungfromthecross-treesofanoldtop-mast,plantedinfrontofanolddoorway.
Thehornsofthecross-treesweresawedoffontheotherside,sothatthisoldtop-mastlookednotalittlelikeagallows.
PerhapsIwasoversensitivetosuchimpressionsatthetime,butIcouldnothelpstaringatthisgallowswithavaguemisgiving.
AsortofcrickwasinmyneckasIgazeduptothetworemaininghorns;yes,twoofthem,oneforQueequeg,andoneforme.It’sominous,thinksI.
ACoffinmyInnkeeperuponlandinginmyfirstwhalingport;tombstonesstaringatmeinthewhalemen’schapel,andhereagallows!
andapairofprodigiousblackpotstoo!
AretheselastthrowingoutobliquehintstouchingTophet?
Iwascalledfromthesereflectionsbythesightofafreckledwomanwithyellowhairandayellowgown,standingintheporchoftheinn,underadullredlampswingingthere,thatlookedmuchlikeaninjuredeye,andcarryingonabriskscoldingwithamaninapurplewoollenshirt.
“Getalongwithye,”saidshetotheman,“orI’llbecombingye!”
“Comeon,Queequeg,”saidI,“allright.There’sMrs.Hussey.”
Andsoitturnedout;Mr.HoseaHusseybeingfromhome,butleavingMrs.Husseyentirelycompetenttoattendtoallhisaffairs.
Uponmakingknownourdesiresforasupperandabed,Mrs.Hussey,postponingfurtherscoldingforthepresent,usheredusintoalittleroom,andseatingusatatablespreadwiththerelicsofarecentlyconcludedrepast,turnedroundtousandsaid-“ClamorCod?”
“What’sthataboutCods,ma’am?”saidI,withmuchpoliteness.
“ClamorCod?”sherepeated.
“Aclamforsupper?acoldclam;isthatwhatyoumean,Mrs.Hussey?”saysI,“butthat’sarathercoldandclammyreceptioninthewintertime,ain’tit,Mrs.Hussey?”
Butbeinginagreathurrytoresumescoldingthemaninthepurpleshirtwhowaswaitingforitintheentry,andseemingtohearnothingbuttheword“clam,”Mrs.Husseyhurriedtowardsanopendoorleadingtothekitchen,andbawlingout“clamfortwo,”disappeared.
“Queequeg,”saidI,“doyouthinkthatwecanmakeasupperforusbothononeclam?”
However,awarmsavorysteamfromthekitchenservedtobelietheapparentlycheerlessprospectbeforeus.
Butwhenthatsmokingchowdercamein,themysterywasdelightfullyexplained.Oh!sweetfriends,hearkentome.
Itwasmadeofsmalljuicyclams,scarcelybiggerthanhazelnuts,mixedwithpoundedshipbiscuits,andsaltedporkcutupintolittleflakes!
thewholeenrichedwithbutter,andplentifullyseasonedwithpepperandsalt.
Ourappetitesbeingsharpenedbythefrostyvoyage,andinparticular,Queequegseeinghisfavouritefishingfoodbeforehim,andthechowderbeingsurpassinglyexcellent,wedespatcheditwithgreatexpedition:whenleaningbackamomentandbethinkingmeofMrs.Hussey’sclamandcodannouncement,IthoughtIwouldtryalittleexperiment.
Steppingtothekitchendoor,Iutteredtheword“cod”withgreatemphasis,andresumedmyseat.
Inafewmomentsthesavourysteamcameforthagain,butwithadifferentflavor,andingoodtimeafinecod-chowderwasplacedbeforeus.
Weresumedbusiness;andwhileplyingourspoonsinthebowl,thinksItomyself,Iwondernowifthisherehasanyeffectonthehead?
What’sthatstultifyingsayingaboutchowder-headedpeople?
“Butlook,Queequeg,ain’tthataliveeelinyourbowl?Where’syourharpoon?”
FishiestofallfishyplaceswastheTryPots,whichwelldeserveditsname;forthepotstherewerealwaysboilingchowders.
Chowderforbreakfast,andchowderfordinner,andchowderforsupper,tillyoubegantolookforfish-bonescomingthroughyourclothes.
Theareabeforethehousewaspavedwithclam-shells.
Mrs.Husseyworeapolishednecklaceofcodfishvertebra;andHoseaHusseyhadhisaccountbooksboundinsuperioroldshark-skin.
Therewasafishyflavortothemilk,too,whichIcouldnotatallaccountfor,tillonemorninghappeningtotakeastrollalongthebeachamongsomefishermen’sboats,IsawHosea’sbrindledcowfeedingonfishremnants,andmarchingalongthesandwitheachfootinacod’sdecapitatedhead,lookingveryslipshod,Iassureye.
Supperconcluded,wereceivedalamp,anddirectionsfromMrs.Husseyconcerningthenearestwaytobed;but,asQueequegwasabouttoprecedemeupthestairs,theladyreachedforthherarm,anddemandedhisharpoon;sheallowednoharpooninherchambers.“Whynot?
saidI;“everytruewhalemansleepswithhisharpoon-butwhynot?”“Becauseit’sdangerous,”saysshe.
“EversinceyoungStiggscomingfromthatunfort’ntv’y’geofhis,whenhewasgonefouryearsandahalf,withonlythreebarrelsofile,wasfounddeadinmyfirstfloorback,withhisharpooninhisside;eversincethenIallownoboarderstotakesichdangerousweeponsintheirroomsatnight.
So,Mr.Queequeg”(forshehadlearnedhisname),“Iwilljusttakethishereiron,andkeepitforyoutillmorning.
Butthechowder;clamorcodto-morrowforbreakfast,men?”
“Both,”saysI;“andlet’shaveacoupleofsmokedherringbywayofvariety.”
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