English
ThatwhaleofStubb’s,sodearlypurchased,wasdulybroughttothePequod’sside,whereallthosecuttingandhoistingoperationspreviouslydetailed,wereregularlygonethrough,eventothebalingoftheHeidelburghTun,orCase.
Whilesomewereoccupiedwiththislatterduty,otherswereemployedindraggingawaythelargertubs,sosoonasfilledwiththesperm;andwhenthepropertimearrived,thissamespermwascarefullymanipulatederegoingtothetry-works,ofwhichanon.
Ithadcooledandcrystallizedtosuchadegree,thatwhen,withseveralothers,IsatdownbeforealargeConstantine’sbathofit,Ifounditstrangelyconcretedintolumps,hereandthererollingaboutintheliquidpart.
Itwasourbusinesstosqueezetheselumpsbackintofluid.Asweetandunctuousduty!
Nowonderthatinoldtimesspermwassuchafavoritecosmetic.Suchaclearer!suchasweetener!
suchasoftener;suchadeliciousmollifier!
Afterhavingmyhandsinitforonlyafewminutes,myfingersfeltlikeeels,andbegan,asitwere,toserpentineandspiralize.
AsIsatthereatmyease,cross-leggedonthedeck;afterthebitterexertionatthewindlass;underabluetranquilsky;theshipunderindolentsail,andglidingsoserenelyalong;asIbathedmyhandsamongthosesoft,gentleglobulesofinfiltratedtissues,wovealmostwithinthehour;astheyrichlybroketomyfingers,anddischargedalltheiropulence,likefullyripegrapestheirwine;as.
Isnuffedupthatuncontaminatedaroma,-literallyandtruly,likethesmellofspringviolets;Ideclaretoyou,thatforthetimeIlivedasinamuskymeadow;Iforgotallaboutourhorribleoath;inthatinexpressiblesperm,Iwashedmyhandsandmyheartofit;IalmostbegantocredittheoldParacelsansuperstitionthatspermisofrarevirtueinallayingtheheatofanger;whilebathinginthatbath,Ifeltdivinelyfreefromallill-will,orpetulance,ormalice,ofanysortwhatsoever.
Squeeze!squeeze!squeeze!
allthemorninglong;IsqueezedthatspermtillImyselfalmostmeltedintoit;Isqueezedthatspermtillastrangesortofinsanitycameoverme;andIfoundmyselfunwittinglysqueezingmyco-laborers’handsinit,mistakingtheirhandsforthegentleglobules.
Suchanabounding,affectionate,friendly,lovingfeelingdidthisavocationbeget;thatatlastIwascontinuallysqueezingtheirhands,andlookingupintotheireyessentimentally;asmuchastosay,-Oh!
mydearfellowbeings,whyshouldwelongercherishanysocialacerbities,orknowtheslightestill-humororenvy!
Come;letussqueezehandsallround;nay,letusallsqueezeourselvesintoeachother;letussqueezeourselvesuniversallyintotheverymilkandspermofkindness.
WouldthatIcouldkeepsqueezingthatspermforever!
Fornow,sincebymanyprolonged,repeatedexperiences,Ihaveperceivedthatinallcasesmanmusteventuallylower,oratleastshift,hisconceitofattainablefelicity;notplacingitanywhereintheintellectorthefancy;butinthewife,theheart,thebed,thetable,thesaddle,thefire-side;thecountry;nowthatIhaveperceivedallthis,Iamreadytosqueezecaseeternally.
Inthoughtsofthevisionsofthenight,Isawlongrowsofangelsinparadise,eachwithhishandsinajarofspermaceti.
Now,whilediscoursingofspermitbehoovestospeakofotherthingsakintoit,inthebusinessofpreparingthespermwhaleforthetry-works.
Firstcomeswhite-horse,socalled,whichisobtainedfromthetaperingpartofthefish,andalsofromthethickerportionsofhisflukes.
Itistoughwithcongealedtendons-awadofmuscle-butstillcontainssomeoil.
Afterbeingseveredfromthewhale,thewhite-horseisfirstcutintoportableoblongseregoingtothemincer.
TheylookmuchlikeblocksofBerkshiremarble.
Plum-puddingisthetermbestoweduponcertainfragmentarypartsofthewhale’sflesh,hereandthereadheringtotheblanketofblubber,andoftenparticipatingtoaconsiderabledegreeinitsunctuousness.
Itisamostrefreshing,convivial,beautifulobjecttobehold.
Asitsnameimports,itisofanexceedinglyrich,mottledtint,withabestreakedsnowyandgoldenground,dottedwithspotsofthedeepestcrimsonandpurple.
Itisplumsofrubies,inpicturesofcitron.
Spiteofreason,itishardtokeepyourselffromeatingit.
Iconfess,thatonceIstolebehindtheforemasttotryit.
IttastedsomethingasIshouldconceivearoyalcutletfromthethighofLouisleGrosmighthavetasted,supposinghimtohavebeenkilledthefirstdayafterthevenisonseason,andthatparticularvenisonseasoncontemporarywithanunusuallyfinevintageofthevineyardsofChampagne.
Thereisanothersubstance,andaverysingularone,whichturnsupinthecourseofthisbusiness,butwhichIfeelittobeverypuzzlingadequatelytodescribe.
Itiscalledslobgollion;anappellationoriginalwiththewhalemen,andevensoisthenatureofthesubstance.
Itisanineffablyoozy,stringyaffair,mostfrequentlyfoundinthetubsofsperm,afteraprolongedsqueezing,andsubsequentdecanting.
Iholdittobethewondrouslythin,rupturedmembranesofthecase,coalescing.
Gurry,socalled,isatermproperlybelongingtorightwhalemen,butsometimesincidentallyusedbythespermfishermen.
Itdesignatesthedark,glutinoussubstancewhichisscrapedoffthebackoftheGreenlandorrightwhale,andmuchofwhichcoversthedecksofthoseinferiorsoulswhohuntthatignobleLeviathan.
Nippers.Strictlythiswordisnotindigenoustothewhale’svocabulary.
Butasappliedbywhalemen,itbecomesso.
Awhaleman’snipperisashortfirmstripoftendinousstuffcutfromthetaperingpartofLeviathan’stail:itaveragesaninchinthickness,andfortherest,isaboutthesizeoftheironpartofahoe.
Edgewisemovedalongtheoilydeck,itoperateslikealeathernsquilgee;andbynamelessblandishments,asofmagic,alluresalongwithitallimpurities.
Buttolearnallaboutthesereconditematters,yourbestwayisatoncetodescendintotheblubber-room,andhavealongtalkwithitsinmates.
Thisplacehaspreviouslybeenmentionedasthereceptaclefortheblanket-pieces,whenstriptandhoistedfromthewhale.
Whenthepropertimearrivesforcuttingupitscontents,thisapartmentisasceneofterrortoalltyros,especiallybynight.
Ononeside,litbyadulllantern,aspacehasbeenleftclearfortheworkmen.
Theygenerallygoinpairs,-apike-and-gaffmanandaspade-man.
Thewhaling-pikeissimilartoafrigate’sboarding-weaponofthesamename.Thegaffissomethinglikeaboat-hook.
Withhisgaff,thegaffmanhooksontoasheetofblubber,andstrivestoholditfromslipping,astheshippitchesandlurchesabout.
Meanwhile,thespade-manstandsonthesheetitself,perpendicularlychoppingitintotheportablehorse-pieces.
Thisspadeissharpashonecanmakeit;thespademan’sfeetareshoeless;thethinghestandsonwillsometimesirresistiblyslideawayfromhim,likeasledge.
Ifhecutsoffoneofhisowntoes,oroneofhisassistants’,wouldyoubeverymuchastonished?
Toesarescarceamongveteranblubber-roommen.
Share this article to
FINISH