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Besidesherhoistedboats,anAmericanwhalerisoutwardlydistinguishedbyhertry-works.
Shepresentsthecuriousanomalyofthemostsolidmasonryjoiningwithoakandhempinconstitutingthecompletedship.
Itisasiffromtheopenfieldabrick-kilnweretransportedtoherplanks.
Thetry-worksareplantedbetweentheforemastandmainmast,themostroomypartofthedeck.
Thetimbersbeneathareofapeculiarstrength,fittedtosustaintheweightofanalmostsolidmassofbrickandmortar,sometenfeetbyeightsquare,andfiveinheight.
Thefoundationdoesnotpenetratethedeck,butthemasonryisfirmlysecuredtothesurfacebyponderouskneesofironbracingitonallsides,andscrewingitdowntothetimbers.
Ontheflanksitiscasedwithwood,andattopcompletelycoveredbyalarge,sloping,battenedhatchway.
Removingthishatchweexposethegreattry-pots,twoinnumber,andeachofseveralbarrels’capacity.
Whennotinuse,theyarekeptremarkablyclean.
Sometimestheyarepolishedwithsoapstoneandsand,tilltheyshinewithinlikesilverpunchbowls.
Duringthenight-watchessomecynicaloldsailorswillcrawlintothemandcoilthemselvesawaythereforanap.
Whileemployedinpolishingthem-onemanineachpot,sidebyside-manyconfidentialcommunicationsarecarriedon,overtheironlips.
Itisaplacealsoforprofoundmathematicalmeditation.
Itwasinthelefthandtry-potofthePequod,withthesoapstonediligentlycirclingroundme,thatIwasfirstindirectlystruckbytheremarkablefact,thatingeometryallbodiesglidingalongthecycloid,mysoapstoneforexample,willdescendfromanypointinpreciselythesametime.
Removingthefire-boardfromthefrontofthetry-works,thebaremasonryofthatsideisexposed,penetratedbythetwoironmouthsofthefurnaces,directlyunderneaththepots.
Thesemouthsarefittedwithheavydoorsofiron.
Theintenseheatofthefireispreventedfromcommunicatingitselftothedeck,bymeansofashallowreservoirextendingundertheentireinclosedsurfaceoftheworks.
Byatunnelinsertedattherear,thisreservoiriskeptreplenishedwithwaterasfastasitevaporates.
Therearenoexternalchimneys;theyopendirectfromtherearwall.Andhereletusgobackforamoment.
Itwasaboutnineo’clockatnightthatthePequod’stry-workswerefirststartedonthispresentvoyage.ItbelongedtoStubbtooverseethebusiness.
“Allreadythere?Offhatch,then,andstarther.Youcook,firetheworks.”
Thiswasaneasything,forthecarpenterhadbeenthrustinghisshavingsintothefurnacethroughoutthepassage.
Herebeitsaidinawhalingvoyagethefirstfireinthetry-workshastobefedforatimewithwood.
Afterthatnowoodisused,exceptasameansofquickignitiontothestaplefuel.
Inaword,afterbeingtriedout,thecrisp,shrivelledblubber,nowcalledscrapsorfritters,stillcontainsconsiderableofitsunctuousproperties.Thesefrittersfeedtheflames.
Likeaplethoricburningmartyr,oraself-consumingmisanthrope,onceignited,thewhalesupplieshisownfuelandburnsbyhisownbody.Wouldthatheconsumedhisownsmoke!
forhissmokeishorribletoinhale,andinhaleityoumust,andnotonlythat,butyoumustliveinitforthetime.
Ithasanunspeakable,wild,Hindooodoraboutit,suchasmaylurkinthevicinityoffunerealpyres.
Itsmellsliketheleftwingofthedayofjudgment;itisanargumentforthepit.
Bymidnighttheworkswereinfulloperation.
Wewereclearfromthecarcass;sailhadbeenmade;thewindwasfreshening;thewildoceandarknesswasintense.
Butthatdarknesswaslickedupbythefierceflames,whichatintervalsforkedforthfromthesootyflues,andilluminatedeveryloftyropeintherigging,aswiththefamedGreekfire.
Theburningshipdroveon,asifremorselesslycommissionedtosomevengefuldeed.
Sothepitchandsulphur-freightedbrigsoftheboldHydriote,Canaris,issuingfromtheirmidnightharbors,withbroadsheetsofflameforsails,boredownupontheTurkishfrigates,andfoldedtheminconflagrations.
Thehatch,removedfromthetopoftheworks,nowaffordedawidehearthinfrontofthem.
StandingonthisweretheTartareanshapesofthepaganharpooneers,alwaysthewhale-ship’sstokers.
Withhugeprongedpolestheypitchedhissingmassesofblubberintothescaldingpots,orstirredupthefiresbeneath,tillthesnakyflamesdarted,curling,outofthedoorstocatchthembythefeet.Thesmokerolledawayinsullenheaps.
Toeverypitchoftheshiptherewasapitchoftheboilingoil,whichseemedalleagernesstoleapintotheirfaces.
Oppositethemouthoftheworks,onthefurthersideofthewidewoodenhearth,wasthewindlass.Thisservedforasea-sofa.
Hereloungedthewatch,whennototherwiseemployed,lookingintotheredheatofthefire,tilltheireyesfeltscorchedintheirheads.
Theirtawnyfeatures,nowallbegrimedwithsmokeandsweat,theirmattedbeards,andthecontrastingbarbaricbrilliancyoftheirteeth,allthesewerestrangelyrevealedinthecapriciousemblazoningsoftheworks.
Astheynarratedtoeachothertheirunholyadventures,theirtalesofterrortoldinwordsofmirth;astheiruncivilizedlaughterforkedupwardsoutofthem,liketheflamesfromthefurnace;astoandfro,intheirfront,theharpooneerswildlygesticulatedwiththeirhugeprongedforksanddippers;asthewindhowledon,andthesealeaped,andtheshipgroanedanddived,andyetsteadfastlyshotherredhellfurtherandfurtherintotheblacknessoftheseaandthenight,andscornfullychampedthewhiteboneinhermouth,andviciouslyspatroundheronallsides;thentherushingPequod,freightedwithsavages,andladenwithfire,andburningacorpse,andplungingintothatblacknessofdarkness,seemedthematerialcounterpartofhermonomaniaccommander’ssoul.
Soseemedittome,asIstoodatherhelm,andforlonghourssilentlyguidedthewayofthisfire-shiponthesea.
Wrapped,forthatinterval,indarknessmyself,Ibutthebettersawtheredness,themadness,theghastlinessofothers.
Thecontinualsightofthefiendshapesbeforeme,caperinghalfinsmokeandhalfinfire,theseatlastbegatkindredvisionsinmysoul,sosoonasIbegantoyieldtothatunaccountabledrowsinesswhicheverwouldcomeovermeatamidnighthelm.
Butthatnight,inparticular,astrange(andeversinceinexplicable)thingoccurredtome.
Startingfromabriefstandingsleep,Iwashorriblyconsciousofsomethingfatallywrong.
Thejaw-bonetillersmotemyside,whichleanedagainstit;inmyearswasthelowhumofsails,justbeginningtoshakeinthewind;Ithoughtmyeyeswereopen;Iwashalfconsciousofputtingmyfingerstothelidsandmechanicallystretchingthemstillfurtherapart.
But,spiteofallthis,Icouldseenocompassbeforemetosteerby;thoughitseemedbutaminutesinceIhadbeenwatchingthecard,bythesteadybinnaclelampilluminatingit.
Nothingseemedbeforemebutajetgloom,nowandthenmadeghastlybyflashesofredness.
Uppermostwastheimpression,thatwhateverswift,rushingthingIstoodonwasnotsomuchboundtoanyhavenaheadasrushingfromallhavensastern.
Astark,bewilderedfeeling,asofdeath,cameoverme.
Convulsivelymyhandsgraspedthetiller,butwiththecrazyconceitthatthetillerwas,somehow,insomeenchantedway,inverted.MyGod!whatisthematterwithme?thoughtI.Lo!
inmybriefsleepIhadturnedmyselfabout,andwasfrontingtheship’sstern,withmybacktoherprowandthecompass.
InaninstantIfacedback,justintimetopreventthevesselfromflyingupintothewind,andveryprobablycapsizingher.
Howgladandhowgratefultherelieffromthisunnaturalhallucinationofthenight,andthefatalcontingencyofbeingbroughtbythelee!
Looknottoolonginthefaceofthefire,Oman!Neverdreamwiththyhandonthehelm!
Turnnotthybacktothecompass;acceptthefirsthintofthehitchingtiller;believenottheartificialfire,whenitsrednessmakesallthingslookghastly.
To-morrow,inthenaturalsun,theskieswillbebright;thosewhoglaredlikedevilsintheforkingflames,themornwillshowinfarother,atleastgentler,relief;theglorious,golden,gladsun,theonlytruelamp-allothersbutliars!
NeverthelessthesunhidesnotVirginia’sDismalSwamp,norRome’saccursedCampagna,norwideSahara,norallthemillionsofmilesofdesertsandofgriefsbeneaththemoon.
Thesunhidesnottheocean,whichisthedarksideofthisearth,andwhichistwothirdsofthisearth.
So,therefore,thatmortalmanwhohathmoreofjoythansorrowinhim,thatmortalmancannotbetrue-nottrue,orundeveloped.Withbooksthesame.
ThetruestofallmenwastheManofSorrows,andthetruestofallbooksisSolomon’s,andEcclesiastesisthefinehammeredsteelofwoe.“Allisvanity.”ALL.
ThiswilfulworldhathnotgotholdofunchristianSolomon’swisdomyet.
Buthewhododgeshospitalsandjails,andwalksfastcrossinggraveyards,andwouldrathertalkofoperasthanhell;callsCowper,Young,Pascal,Rousseau,poordevilsallofsickmen;andthroughoutacare-freelifetimeswearsbyRabelaisaspassingwise,andthereforejolly;-notthatmanisfittedtositdownontomb-stones,andbreakthegreendampmouldwithunfathomablywondrousSolomon.
ButevenSolomon,hesays,“themanthatwanderethoutofthewayofunderstandingshallremain”(i.e.evenwhileliving)“inthecongregationofthedead.”
Givenotthyselfup,then,tofire,lestitinvertthee,deadenthee;asforthetimeitdidme.
Thereisawisdomthatiswoe;butthereisawoethatismadness.
AndthereisaCatskilleagleinsomesoulsthatcanalikedivedownintotheblackestgorges,andsoaroutofthemagainandbecomeinvisibleinthesunnyspaces.
Andevenifheforeverflieswithinthegorge,thatgorgeisinthemountains;sothateveninhislowestswoopthemountaineagleisstillhigherthanotherbirdsupontheplain,eventhoughtheysoar.
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