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HadyousteppedonboardthePequodatacertainjunctureofthispost-mortemizingofthewhale;andhadyoustrolledforwardnighthewindlass,prettysureamIthatyouwouldhavescannedwithnosmallcuriosityaverystrange,enigmaticalobject,whichyouwouldhaveseenthere,lyingalonglengthwiseintheleescuppers.
Notthewondrouscisterninthewhale’shugehead;nottheprodigyofhisunhingedlowerjaw;notthemiracleofhissymmetricaltail;noneofthesewouldsosurpriseyou,ashalfaglimpseofthatunaccountablecone,-longerthanaKentuckianistall,nighafootindiameteratthebase,andjet-blackasYojo,theebonyidolofQueequeg.
Andanidol,indeed,itis;orrather,inoldtimes,itslikenesswas.
SuchanidolasthatfoundinthesecretgrovesofQueenMaachahinJudea;andforworshippingwhich,KingAsa,herson,diddeposeher,anddestroyedtheidol,andburntitforanabominationatthebrookKedron,asdarklysetforthinthe15thchapteroftheFirstBookofKings.
Lookatthesailor,calledthemincer,whonowcomesalong,andassistedbytwoallies,heavilybacksthegrandissimus,asthemarinerscallit,andwithbowedshoulders,staggersoffwithitasifhewereagrenadiercarryingadeadcomradefromthefield.
Extendingitupontheforecastledeck,henowproceedscylindricallytoremoveitsdarkpelt,asanAfricanhunterthepeltofaboa.
Thisdoneheturnsthepeltinsideout,likeapantaloonleg;givesitagoodstretching,soasalmosttodoubleitsdiameter;andatlasthangsit,wellspread,intherigging,todry.
Erelong,itistakendown;whenremovingsomethreefeetofit,towardsthepointedextremity,andthencuttingtwoslitsforarm-holesattheotherend,helengthwiseslipshimselfbodilyintoit.
Themincernowstandsbeforeyouinvestedinthefullcanonicalsofhiscalling.
Immemorialtoallhisorder,thisinvestiturealonewilladequatelyprotecthim,whileemployedinthepeculiarfunctionsofhisoffice.
Thatofficeconsistsinmincingthehorse-piecesofblubberforthepots;anoperationwhichisconductedatacuriouswoodenhorse,plantedendwiseagainstthebulwarks,andwithacapacioustubbeneathit,intowhichthemincedpiecesdrop,fastasthesheetsfromaraptorator’sdesk.
Arrayedindecentblack;occupyingaconspicuouspulpit;intentonbibleleaves;whatacandidateforanarchbishopric,whataladforaPopewerethismincer!
Bibleleaves!Bibleleaves!
Thisistheinvariablecryfromthematestothemincer.
Itenjoinshimtobecareful,andcuthisworkintoasthinslicesaspossible,inasmuchasbysodoingthebusinessofboilingouttheoilismuchaccelerated,anditsquantityconsiderablyincreased,besidesperhapsimprovingitinquality.
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