Thelineoriginallyusedinthefisherywasofthebesthemp,slightlyvaporedwithtar,notimpregnatedwithit,asinthecaseofordinaryropes;forwhiletar,asordinarilyused,makesthehempmorepliabletotherope-maker,andalsorenderstheropeitselfmoreconvenienttothesailorforcommonshipuse;yet,notonlywouldtheordinaryquantitytoomuchstiffenthewhale-linefortheclosecoilingtowhichitmustbesubjected;butasmostseamenarebeginningtolearn,taringeneralbynomeansaddstotherope’sdurabilityorstrength,howevermuchitmaygiveitcompactnessandgloss.
OflateyearstheManillaropehasintheAmericanfisheryalmostentirelysupersededhempasamaterialforwhale-lines;for,thoughnotsodurableashemp,itisstronger,andfarmoresoftandelastic;andIwilladd(sincethereisanaestheticsinallthings),ismuchmorehandsomeandbecomingtotheboat,thanhemp.
Byexperimentitsoneandfiftyyarnswilleachsuspendaweightofonehundredandtwentypounds;sothatthewholeropewillbearastrainnearlyequaltothreetons.
Towardsthesternoftheboatitisspirallycoiledawayinthetub,notliketheworm-pipeofastillthough,butsoastoformoneround,cheese-shapedmassofdenselybedded“sheaves,”orlayersofconcentricspiralizations,withoutanyhollowbutthe“heart,”orminuteverticaltubeformedattheaxisofthecheese.
Astheleasttangleorkinkinthecoilingwould,inrunningout,infalliblytakesomebody’sarm,leg,orentirebodyoff,theutmostprecautionisusedinstowingthelineinitstub.
Someharpooneerswillconsumealmostanentiremorninginthisbusiness,carryingthelinehighaloftandthenreevingitdownwardsthroughablocktowardsthetub,soasintheactofcoilingtofreeitfromallpossiblewrinklesandtwists.
Thereissomeadvantageinthis;becausethesetwin-tubsbeingsosmalltheyfitmorereadilyintotheboat,anddonotstrainitsomuch;whereas,theAmericantub,nearlythreefeetindiameterandofproportionatedepth,makesaratherbulkyfreightforacraftwhoseplanksarebutone-halfinchinthickness;forthebottomofthewhale-boatislikecriticalice,whichwillbearupaconsiderabledistributedweight,butnotverymuchofaconcentratedone.
WhenthepaintedcanvascoverisclappedontheAmericantubline,theboatlooksasifitwerepullingoffwithaprodigiousgreatwedding-caketopresenttothewhales.
Bothendsofthelineareexposed;thelowerendterminatinginaneye-spliceorloopcomingupfromthebottomagainstthesideofthetub,andhangingoveritsedgecompletelydisengagedfromeverything.
First:Inordertofacilitatethefasteningtoitofanadditionallinefromaneighboringboat,incasethestrickenwhaleshouldsoundsodeepastothreatentocarryofftheentirelineoriginallyattachedtotheharpoon.
Intheseinstances,thewhaleofcourseisshiftedlikeamugofale,asitwere,fromtheoneboattotheother;thoughthefirstboatalwayshoversathandtoassistitsconsort.
Second:Thisarrangementisindispensableforcommonsafety’ssake;forwerethelowerendofthelineinanywayattachedtotheboat,andwerethewhalethentorunthelineouttotheendalmostinasingle,smokingminuteashesometimesdoes,hewouldnotstopthere,forthedoomedboatwouldinfalliblybedraggeddownafterhimintotheprofundityofthesea;andinthatcasenotown-crierwouldeverfindheragain.
Beforeloweringtheboatforthechase,theupperendofthelineistakenaftfromthetub,andpassingroundtheloggerheadthere,isagaincarriedforwardtheentirelengthoftheboat,restingcrosswiseupontheloomorhandleofeveryman’soar,sothatitjogsagainsthiswristinrowing;andalsopassingbetweenthemen,astheyalternatelysitattheoppositegunwales,totheleadedchocksorgroovesintheextremepointedprowoftheboat,whereawoodenpinorskewerthesizeofacommonsquill,preventsitfromslippingout.
Fromthechocksithangsinaslightfestoonoverthebows,andisthenpassedinsidetheboatagain;andsometenortwentyfathoms(calledbox-line)beingcoiledupontheboxinthebows,itcontinuesitswaytothegunwalestillalittlefurtheraft,andisthenattachedtotheshort-warp-theropewhichisimmediatelyconnectedwiththeharpoon;butprevioustothatconnexion,theshort-warpgoesthroughsundrymystificationstootedioustodetail.
Thusthewhale-linefoldsthewholeboatinitscomplicatedcoils,twistingandwrithingarounditinalmosteverydirection.
Alltheoarsmenareinvolvedinitsperilouscontortions;sothattothetimideyeofthelandsman,theyseemasIndianjugglers,withthedeadliestsnakessportivelyfestooningtheirlimbs.
Norcananysonofmortalwoman,forthefirsttime,seathimselfamidthosehempenintricacies,andwhilestraininghisutmostattheoar,bethinkhimthatatanyunknowninstanttheharpoonmaybedarted,andallthesehorriblecontortionsbeputinplaylikeringedlightnings;hecannotbethuscircumstancedwithoutashudderthatmakestheverymarrowinhisbonestoquiverinhimlikeashakenjelly.
-Gayersallies,moremerrymirth,betterjokes,andbrighterrepartees,youneverheardoveryourmahogany,thanyouwillhearoverthehalf-inchwhitecedarofthewhaleboat,whenthushunginhangman’snooses;and,likethesixburghersofCalaisbeforeKingEdward,thesixmencomposingthecrewpullintothejawsofdeath,withahalteraroundeveryneck,asyoumaysay.
Perhapsaverylittlethoughtwillnowenableyoutoaccountforthoserepeatedwhalingdisasters-somefewofwhicharecasuallychronicled-ofthismanorthatmanbeingtakenoutoftheboatbytheline,andlost.
For,whenthelineisdartingout,tobeseatedthenintheboat,islikebeingseatedinthemidstofthemanifoldwhizzingsofasteam-engineinfullplay,wheneveryflyingbeam,andshaft,andwheel,isgrazingyou.
Itisworse;foryoucannotsitmotionlessintheheartoftheseperils,becausetheboatisrockinglikeacradle,andyouarepitchedonewayandtheother,withouttheslightestwarning;andonlybyacertainself-adjustingbuoyancyandsimultaneousnessofvolitionandaction,canyouescapebeingmadeaMazeppaof,andrunawaywithwheretheall-seeingsunhimselfcouldneverpierceyouout.
Again:astheprofoundcalmwhichonlyapparentlyprecedesandprophesiesofthestorm,isperhapsmoreawfulthanthestormitself;for,indeed,thecalmisbutthewrapperandenvelopeofthestorm;andcontainsitinitself,astheseeminglyharmlessrifleholdsthefatalpowder,andtheball,andtheexplosion;sothegracefulreposeoftheline,asitsilentlyserpentinesabouttheoarsmenbeforebeingbroughtintoactualplay-thisisathingwhichcarriesmoreoftrueterrorthananyotheraspectofthisdangerousaffair.
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