Butevenhadthisnotbeenthecase,hewouldnotafterall,perhaps,haveboardedher-judgingbyhissubsequentconductonsimilaroccasions-ifsoithadbeenthat,bytheprocessofhailing,hehadobtainedanegativeanswertothequestionheput.
For,asiteventuallyturnedout,hecarednottoconsort,evenforfiveminutes,withanystrangercaptain,excepthecouldcontributesomeofthatinformationhesoabsorbinglysought.
Butallthismightremaininadequatelyestimated,werenotsomethingsaidhereofthepeculiarusagesofwhaling-vesselswhenmeetingeachotherinforeignseas,andespeciallyonacommoncruising-ground.
IftwostrangerscrossingthePineBarrensinNewYorkState,ortheequallydesolateSalisburyPlaininEngland;ifcasuallyencounteringeachotherinsuchinhospitablewilds,thesetwain,forthelifeofthem,cannotwellavoidamutualsalutation;andstoppingforamomenttointerchangethenews;and,perhaps,sittingdownforawhileandrestinginconcert:then,howmuchmorenaturalthatupontheillimitablePineBarrensandSalisburyPlainsofthesea,twowhalingvesselsdescryingeachotherattheendsoftheearth-offloneFanning’sIsland,orthefarawayKing’sMills;howmuchmorenatural,Isay,thatundersuchcircumstancestheseshipsshouldnotonlyinterchangehails,butcomeintostillcloser,morefriendlyandsociablecontact.
Andespeciallywouldthisseemtobeamatterofcourse,inthecaseofvesselsownedinoneseaport,andwhosecaptains,officers,andnotafewofthemenarepersonallyknowntoeachother;andconsequently,haveallsortsofdeardomesticthingstotalkabout.
Forthelongabsentship,theoutward-bounder,perhaps,haslettersonboard;atanyrate,shewillbesuretoletherhavesomepapersofadateayearortwolaterthanthelastoneonherblurredandthumb-wornfiles.
Andinreturnforthatcourtesy,theoutward-boundshipwouldreceivethelatestwhalingintelligencefromthecruising-groundtowhichshemaybedestined,athingoftheutmostimportancetoher.
Andindegree,allthiswillholdtrueconcerningwhalingvesselscrossingeachother’strackonthecruising-grounditself,eventhoughtheyareequallylongabsentfromhome.
Foroneofthemmayhavereceivedatransferoflettersfromsomethird,andnowfarremotevessel;andsomeofthoselettersmaybeforthepeopleoftheshipshenowmeets.
Fornotonlywouldtheymeetwithallthesympathiesofsailors,butlikewisewithallthepeculiarcongenialitiesarisingfromacommonpursuitandmutuallysharedprivationsandperils.
Norwoulddifferenceofcountrymakeanyveryessentialdifference;thatis,solongasbothpartiesspeakonelanguage,asisthecasewithAmericansandEnglish.
Though,tobesure,fromthesmallnumberofEnglishwhalers,suchmeetingsdonotveryoftenoccur,andwhentheydooccurthere.
istooapttobeasortofshynessbetweenthem;foryourEnglishmanisratherreserved,andyourYankee,hedoesnotfancythatsortofthinginanybodybuthimself.
Besides,theEnglishwhalerssometimesaffectakindofmetropolitansuperiorityovertheAmericanwhalers;regardingthelong,leanNantucketer,withhisnondescriptprovincialisms,asasortofsea-peasant.
ButwherethissuperiorityintheEnglishwhalemandoesreallyconsist,itwouldbehardtosay,seeingthattheYankeesinoneday,collectively,killmorewhalesthanalltheEnglish,collectively,intenyears.
ButthisisaharmlesslittlefoibleintheEnglishwhale-hunters,whichtheNantucketerdoesnottakemuchtoheart;probably,becauseheknowsthathehasafewfoibleshimself.
So,then,weseethatofallshipsseparatelysailingthesea,thewhalershavemostreasontobesociable-andtheyareso.
Whereas,somemerchantshipscrossingeachother’swakeinthemid-Atlantic,willoftentimespassonwithoutsomuchasasinglewordofrecognition,mutuallycuttingeachotheronthehighseas,likeabraceofdandiesinBroadway;andallthetimeindulging,perhaps,infinicalcriticismuponeachother’srig.
AsforMen-of-War,whentheychancetomeetatsea,theyfirstgothroughsuchastringofsillybowingsandscrapings,suchaduckingofensigns,thattheredoesnotseemtobemuchright-downheartygood-willandbrotherlyloveaboutitatall.
AstouchingSlave-shipsmeeting,why,theyareinsuchaprodigioushurry,theyrunawayfromeachotherassoonaspossible.
Andthatquestiononceanswered,piratesstraightwaysteerapart,fortheyareinfernalvillainsonbothsides,anddon’tliketoseeovermuchofeachother’svillanouslikenesses.
Shehasa“Gam,”athingsoutterlyunknowntoallothershipsthattheyneverheardofthenameeven;andifbychancetheyshouldhearofit,theyonlygrinatit,andrepeatgamesomestuffabout“spouters”and“blubber-boilers,”andsuchlikeprettyexclamations.
WhyitisthatallMerchant-seamen,andalsoallPiratesandMan-of-War’smen,andSlave-shipsailors,cherishsuchascornfulfeelingtowardsWhale-ships;thisisaquestionitwouldbehardtoanswer.
Because,inthecaseofpirates,say,Ishouldliketoknowwhetherthatprofessionoftheirshasanypeculiargloryaboutit.
Hence,Iconclude,thatinboastinghimselftobehighliftedaboveawhaleman,inthatassertionthepiratehasnosolidbasistostandon.
ButwhatisaGam?Youmightwearoutyourindex-fingerrunningupanddownthecolumnsofdictionaries,andneverfindtheword,Dr.Johnsonneverattainedtothaterudition;NoahWebster’sarkdoesnotholdit.
Nevertheless,thissameexpressivewordhasnowformanyyearsbeeninconstantuseamongsomefifteenthousandtruebornYankees.
GAM.NOUN-Asocialmeetingoftwo(ormore)Whaleships,generallyonacruising-ground;when,afterexchanginghails,theyexchangevisitshyboats’crews,thetwocaptainsremaining,forthetime,onboardofoneship,andthetwochiefmatesontheother.
Inapirate,man-of-war,orslaveship,whenthecaptainisrowedanywhereinhisboat,healwayssitsinthesternsheetsonacomfortable,sometimescushionedseatthere,andoftensteershimselfwithaprettylittlemilliner’stillerdecoratedwithgaycordsandribbons.
Hightimesindeed,ifwhalingcaptainswerewheeledaboutthewateroncastorslikegoutyoldaldermeninpatentchairs.
Andasforatiller,thewhale-boatneveradmitsofanysucheffeminacy;andthereforeasingammingacompleteboat’screwmustleavetheship,andhenceastheboatsteererorharpooneerisofthenumber,thatsubordinateisthesteersmanupontheoccasion,andthecaptain,havingnoplacetositin,ispulledofftohisvisitallstandinglikeapinetree.
Andoftenyouwillnoticethatbeingconsciousoftheeyesofthewholevisibleworldrestingonhimfromthesidesofthetwoships,thisstandingcaptainisallalivetotheimportanceofsustaininghisdignitybymaintaininghislegs.
Noristhisanyveryeasymatter;forinhisrearistheimmenseprojectingsteeringoarhittinghimnowandtheninthesmallofhisback,theafter-oarreciprocatingbyrappinghiskneesinfront.
Heisthuscompletelywedgedbeforeandbehind,andcanonlyexpandhimselfsidewaysbysettlingdownonhisstretchedlegs;butasudden,violentpitchoftheboatwilloftengofartotopplehim,becauselengthoffoundationisnothingwithoutcorrespondingbreadth.
Then,again,itwouldneverdoinplainsightoftheworld’srivetedeyes,itwouldneverdo,Isay,forthisstraddlingcaptaintobeseensteadyinghimselftheslightestparticlebycatchingholdofanythingwithhishands;indeed,astokenofhisentire,buoyantself-command,hegenerallycarrieshishandsinhistrowsers’pockets;butperhapsbeinggenerallyverylarge,heavyhands,hecarriesthemthereforballast.
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