English
Stubbwasthesecondmate.HewasanativeofCapeCod;andhence,accordingtolocalusage,wascalledaCape-Cod-man.
Ahappy-go-lucky;neithercravennorvaliant;takingperilsastheycamewithanindifferentair;andwhileengagedinthemostimminentcrisisofthechase,toilingaway,calmandcollectedasajourneymanjoinerengagedfortheyear.
Good-humored,easy,andcareless,hepresidedoverhiswhaleboatasifthemostdeadlyencounterwerebutadinner,andhiscrewallinvitedguests.
Hewasasparticularaboutthecomfortablearrangementsofhispartoftheboat,asanoldstage-driverisaboutthesnugnessofhisbox.
Whenclosetothewhale,intheverydeath-lockofthefight,hehandledhisunpityinglancecoollyandoff-handedly,asawhistlingtinkerhishammer.
Hewouldhumoverhisoldrigadigtuneswhileflankandflankwiththemostexasperatedmonster.
Longusagehad,forthisStubb,convertedthejawsofdeathintoaneasychair.
Whathethoughtofdeathitself,thereisnotelling.
Whetherheeverthoughtofitatall,mightbeaquestion;but,ifheeverdidchancetocasthismindthatwayafteracomfortabledinner,nodoubt,likeagoodsailor,hetookittobeasortofcallofthewatchtotumblealoft,andbestirthemselvesthere,aboutsomethingwhichhewouldfindoutwhenheobeyedtheorder,andnotsooner.
What,perhaps,withotherthings,madeStubbsuchaneasy-going,unfearingman,socheerilytrudgingoffwiththeburdenoflifeinaworldfailofgravepeddlers,allbowedtothegroundwiththeirpacks;whathelpedtobringaboutthatalmostimpiousgood-humorofhis;thatthingmusthavebeenhispipe.
For,likehisnose,hisshort,blacklittlepipewasoneoftheregularfeaturesofhisface.
Youwouldalmostassoonhaveexpectedhimtoturnoutofhisbunkwithouthisnoseaswithouthispipe.
Hekeptawholerowofpipestherereadyloaded,stuckinarack,withineasyreachofhishand;and,wheneverheturnedin,hesmokedthemalloutinsuccession,lightingonefromtheothertotheendofthechapter;thenloadingthemagaintobeinreadinessanew.
For,whenStubbdressed,insteadoffirstputtinghislegsintohistrowsers,heputhispipeintohismouth.
Isaythiscontinualsmokingmusthavebeenonecause,atleastofhispeculiardisposition;foreveryoneknowsthatthisearlyair,whetherashoreorafloat,isterriblyinfectedwiththenamelessmiseriesofthenumberlessmortalswhohavediedexhalingit;andasintimeofthecholera,somepeoplegoaboutwithacamphoratedhandkerchieftotheirmouths;so,likewise,againstallmortaltribulations,Stubb’stobaccosmokemighthaveoperatedasasortofdisinfectingagent.
ThethirdmatewasFlask,anativeofTisbury,inMartha’sVineyard.
Ashort,stout,ruddyyoungfellow,verypugnaciousconcerningwhales,whosomehowseemedtothinkthatthegreatLeviathanshadpersonallyandhereditarilyaffrontedhim;andthereforeitwasasortofpointofhonorwithhim,todestroythemwheneverencountered.
Soutterlylostwashetoallsenseofreverenceforthemanymarvelsoftheirmajesticbulkandmysticways;andsodeadtoanythinglikeanapprehensionofanypossibledangerencounteringthem;thatinhispooropinion,thewondrouswhalewasbutaspeciesofmagnifiedmouse,oratleastwater-rat,requiringonlyalittlecircumventionandsomesmallapplicationoftimeandtroubleinordertokillandboil.
Thisignorant,unconsciousfearlessnessofhismadehimalittlewaggishinthematterofwhales;hefollowedthesefishforthefunofit;andathreeyears’voyageroundCapeHornwasonlyajollyjokethatlastedthatlengthoftime.
Asacarpenter’snailsaredividedintowroughtnailsandcutnails;somankindmaybesimilarlydivided.
LittleFlaskwasoneofthewroughtones;madetoclinchtightandlastlong.
TheycalledhimKing-PostonboardofthePequod;because,inform,hecouldbewelllikenedtotheshort,squaretimberknownbythatnameinArcticwhalers;andwhichbythemeansofmanyradiatingsidetimbersinsertedintoit,servestobracetheshipagainsttheicyconcussionsofthosebatteringseas.
Nowthesethreemates-Starbuck,StubbandFlask,weremomentousmen.
TheywaswhobyuniversalprescriptioncommandedthreeofthePequod’sboatsasheadsmen.
InthatgrandorderofbattleinwhichCaptainAhabwouldprobablymarshalhisforcestodescendonthewhales,thesethreeheadsmenwereascaptainsofcompanies.
Or,beingarmedwiththeirlongkeenwhalingspears,theywereasapickedtriooflancers;evenastheharpooneerswereflingersofjavelins.
Andsinceinthisfamousfishery,eachmateorheadsman,likeaGothicKnightofold,isalwaysaccompaniedbyhisboat-steererorharpooneer,whoincertainconjuncturesprovideshimwithafreshlance,whentheformeronehasbeenbadlytwisted,orelbowedintheassault;andmoreover,astheregenerallysubsistsbetweenthetwo,acloseintimacyandfriendliness;itisthereforebutmeet,thatinthisplacewesetdownwhothePequod’sharpooneerswere,andtowhatheadsmaneachofthembelonged.
FirstofallwasQueequeg,whomStarbuck,thechiefmate,hadselectedforhissquire.ButQueequegisalreadyknown.
NextwasTashtego,anunmixedIndianfromGayHead,themostwesterlypromontoryofMartha’sVineyard,wheretherestillexiststhelastremnantofavillageofredmen,whichhaslongsuppliedtheneighboringislandofNantucketwithmanyofhermostdaringharpooneers.
Inthefishery,theyusuallygobythegenericnameofGay-Headers.
Tashtego’slong,lean,sablehair,hishighcheekbones,andblackroundingeyes-foranIndian,Orientalintheirlargeness,butAntarcticintheirglitteringexpression-allthissufficientlyproclaimedhimaninheritoroftheunvitiatedbloodofthoseproudwarriorhunters,who,inquestofthegreatNewEnglandmoose,hadscoured,bowinhand,theaboriginalforestsofthemain.
Butnolongersnuffinginthetrailofthewildbeastsofthewoodland,Tashtegonowhuntedinthewakeofthegreatwhalesofthesea;theunerringharpoonofthesonfitlyreplacingtheinfalliblearrowofthesires.
Tolookatthetawnybrawnofhislithesnakylimbs,youwouldalmosthavecreditedthesuperstitionsofsomeoftheearlierPuritansandhalf-believedthiswildIndiantobeasonofthePrinceofthePowersoftheAir.
TashtegowasStubbthesecondmate’ssquire.
ThirdamongtheharpooneerswasDaggoo,agigantic,coal-blacknegro-savage,withalion-liketread-anAhasuerustobehold.
Suspendedfromhisearsweretwogoldenhoops,solargethatthesailorscalledthemringbolts,andwouldtalkofsecuringthetop-sailhalyardstothem.
InhisyouthDaggoohadvoluntarilyshippedonboardofawhaler,lyinginalonelybayonhisnativecoast.
AndneverhavingbeenanywhereintheworldbutinAfrica,Nantucket,andthepaganharborsmostfrequentedbythewhalemen;andhavingnowledformanyyearstheboldlifeofthefisheryintheshipsofownersuncommonlyheedfulofwhatmannerofmentheyshipped;Daggooretainedallhisbarbaricvirtues,anderectasagiraffe,movedaboutthedecksinallthepompofsixfeetfiveinhissocks.
Therewasacorporealhumilityinlookingupathim;andawhitemanstandingbeforehimseemedawhiteflagcometobegtruceofafortress.
Curioustotell,thisimperialnegro,AhasuerusDaggoo,wastheSquireoflittleFlask,wholookedlikeachess-manbesidehim.
AsfortheresidueofthePequod’scompany,beitsaid,thatatthepresentdaynotoneintwoofthemanythousandmenbeforethemastemployedintheAmericanwhalefishery,areAmericansborn,thoughprettynearlyalltheofficersare.
HereinitisthesamewiththeAmericanwhalefisheryaswiththeAmericanarmyandmilitaryandmerchantnavies,andtheengineeringforcesemployedintheconstructionoftheAmericanCanalsandRailroads.
Thesame,Isay,becauseinallthesecasesthenativeAmericanliterallyprovidesthebrains,therestoftheworldasgenerouslysupplyingthemuscles.
NosmallnumberofthesewhalingseamenbelongtotheAzores,wheretheoutwardboundNantucketwhalersfrequentlytouchtoaugmenttheircrewsfromthehardypeasantsofthoserockyshores.
Inlikemanner,theGreenlandwhalerssailingoutofHullorLondon,putinattheShetlandIslands,toreceivethefullcomplementoftheircrew.
Uponthepassagehomewards,theydropthemthereagain.
Howitis,thereisnotelling,butIslandersseemtomakethebestwhalemen.
TheywerenearlyallIslandersinthePequod,Isolatoestoo,Icallsuch,notacknowledgingthecommoncontinentofmen,buteachIsolatolivingonaseparatecontinentofhisown.
Yetnow,federatedalongonekeel,whatasettheseIsolatoeswere!
AnAnacharsisClootzdeputationfromalltheislesofthesea,andalltheendsoftheearth,accompanyingOldAhabinthePequodtolaytheworld’sgrievancesbeforethatbarfromwhichnotverymanyofthemevercomeback.BlackLittlePip-heneverdid-oh,no!hewentbefore.PoorAlabamaboy!
OnthegrimPequod’sforecastle,yeshallerelongseehim,beatinghistambourine;prelusiveoftheeternaltime,whensentfor,tothegreatquarter-deckonhigh,hewasbidstrikeinwithangels,andbeathistambourineinglory;calledacowardhere,hailedaherothere!
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