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Slowlywadingthroughthemeadowsofbrit,thePequodstillheldonherwaynorth-eastwardtowardstheislandofJava;agentleairimpellingherkeel,sothatinthesurroundingserenityherthreetalltaperingmastsmildlywavedtothatlanguidbreeze,asthreemildpalmsonaplain.
Andstill,atwideintervalsinthesilverynight,thelonely,alluringjetwouldbeseen.
Butonetransparentbluemorning,whenastillnessalmostpreternaturalspreadoverthesea,howeverunattendedwithanystagnantcalm;whenthelongburnishedsun-gladeonthewatersseemedagoldenfingerlaidacrossthem,enjoiningsomesecrecy;whentheslipperedwaveswhisperedtogetherastheysoftlyranon;inthisprofoundhushofthevisiblesphereastrangespectrewasseenbyDaggoofromthemain-mast-head.
Inthedistance,agreatwhitemasslazilyrose,andrisinghigherandhigher,anddisentanglingitselffromtheazure,atlastgleamedbeforeourprowlikeasnow-slide,newslidfromthehills.
Thusglisteningforamoment,asslowlyitsubsided,andsank.
Thenoncemorearose,andsilentlygleamed.
Itseemednotawhale;andyetisthisMobyDick?thoughtDaggoo.
Againthephantomwentdown,butonre-appearingoncemore,withastiletto-likecrythatstartledeverymanfromhisnod,thenegroyelledout-“There!thereagain!thereshebreaches!rightahead!TheWhiteWhale,theWhiteWhale!”
Uponthis,theseamenrushedtotheyard-arms,asinswarming-timethebeesrushtotheboughs.
Bare-headedinthesultrysun,Ahabstoodonthebowsprit,andwithonehandpushedfarbehindinreadinesstowavehisorderstothehelmsman,casthiseagerglanceinthedirectionindicatedaloftbytheoutstretchedmotionlessarmofDaggoo.
WhethertheflittingattendanceoftheonestillandsolitaryjethadgraduallyworkeduponAhab,sothathewasnowpreparedtoconnecttheideasofmildnessandreposewiththefirstsightoftheparticularwhalehepursued;howeverthiswas,orwhetherhiseagernessbetrayedhim;whicheverwayitmighthavebeen,nosoonerdidhedistinctlyperceivethewhitemass,thanwithaquickintensityheinstantlygaveordersforlowering.
Thefourboatsweresoononthewater;Ahab’sinadvance,andallswiftlypullingtowardstheirprey.
Soonitwentdown,andwhile,withoarssuspended,wewereawaitingitsreappearance,lo!
inthesamespotwhereitsank,oncemoreitslowlyrose.
AlmostforgettingforthemomentallthoughtsofMobyDick,wenowgazedatthemostwondrousphenomenonwhichthesecretseashavehithertorevealedtomankind.
Avastpulpymass,furlongsinlengthandbreadth,ofaglancingcream-color,layfloatingonthewater,innumerablelongarmsradiatingfromitscentre,andcurlingandtwistinglikeanestofanacondas,asifblindlytocatchatanyhaplessobjectwithinreach.
Noperceptiblefaceorfrontdidithave;noconceivabletokenofeithersensationorinstinct;butundulatedthereonthebillows,anunearthly,formless,chance-likeapparitionoflife.
Aswithalowsuckingsounditslowlydisappearedagain,Starbuckstillgazingattheagitatedwaterswhereithadsunk,withawildvoiceexclaimed-“AlmostratherhadIseenMobyDickandfoughthim,thantohaveseenthee,thouwhiteghost!”
“Whatwasit,Sir?”saidFlask.
“Thegreatlivesquid,which,theysay,fewwhale-shipseverbeheld,andreturnedtotheirportstotellofit.”
ButAhabsaidnothing;turninghisboat,hesailedbacktothevessel;therestassilentlyfollowing.
Whateversuperstitionsthespermwhalemeningeneralhaveconnectedwiththesightofthisobject,certainitis,thataglimpseofitbeingsoveryunusual,thatcircumstancehasgonefartoinvestitwithportentousness.
Sorarelyisitbeheld,thatthoughoneandallofthemdeclareittobethelargestanimatedthingintheocean,yetveryfewofthemhaveanybutthemostvagueideasconcerningitstruenatureandform;notwithstanding,theybelieveittofurnishtothespermwhalehisonlyfood.
Forthoughotherspeciesofwhalesfindtheirfoodabovewater,andmaybeseenbymanintheactoffeeding,thespermacetiwhaleobtainshiswholefoodinunknownzonesbelowthesurface;andonlybyinferenceisitthatanyonecantellofwhat,precisely,thatfoodconsists.
Attimes,whencloselypursued,hewilldisgorgewhataresupposedtobethedetachedarmsofthesquid;someofthemthusexhibitedexceedingtwentyandthirtyfeetinlength.
Theyfancythatthemonstertowhichthesearmsbelongedordinarilyclingsbythemtothebedoftheocean;andthatthespermwhale,unlikeotherspecies,issuppliedwithteethinordertoattackandtearit.
ThereseemssomegroundtoimaginethatthegreatKrakenofBishopPontoppodanmayultimatelyresolveitselfintoSquid.
ThemannerinwhichtheBishopdescribesit,asalternatelyrisingandsinking,withsomeotherparticularshenarrates,inallthisthetwocorrespond.
Butmuchabatementisnecessarywithrespecttotheincrediblebulkheassignsit.
Bysomenaturalistswhohavevaguelyheardrumorsofthemysteriouscreature,herespokenof,itisincludedamongtheclassofcuttle-fish,towhich,indeed,incertainexternalrespectsitwouldseemtobelong,butonlyastheAnakofthetribe.
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