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- Герман Мелвилл
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- Моби Дик
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- Стр. 141/297
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With
reference
to
the
whaling
scene
shortly
to
be
described
,
as
well
as
for
the
better
understanding
of
all
similar
scenes
elsewhere
presented
,
I
have
here
to
speak
of
the
magical
,
sometimes
horrible
whale-line
.
The
line
originally
used
in
the
fishery
was
of
the
best
hemp
,
slightly
vapored
with
tar
,
not
impregnated
with
it
,
as
in
the
case
of
ordinary
ropes
;
for
while
tar
,
as
ordinarily
used
,
makes
the
hemp
more
pliable
to
the
rope-maker
,
and
also
renders
the
rope
itself
more
convenient
to
the
sailor
for
common
ship
use
;
yet
,
not
only
would
the
ordinary
quantity
too
much
stiffen
the
whale-line
for
the
close
coiling
to
which
it
must
be
subjected
;
but
as
most
seamen
are
beginning
to
learn
,
tar
in
general
by
no
means
adds
to
the
rope
's
durability
or
strength
,
however
much
it
may
give
it
compactness
and
gloss
.
Of
late
years
the
Manilla
rope
has
in
the
American
fishery
almost
entirely
superseded
hemp
as
a
material
for
whale-lines
;
for
,
though
not
so
durable
as
hemp
,
it
is
stronger
,
and
far
more
soft
and
elastic
;
and
I
will
add
(
since
there
is
an
aesthetics
in
all
things
)
,
is
much
more
handsome
and
becoming
to
the
boat
,
than
hemp
.
Hemp
is
a
dusky
,
dark
fellow
,
a
sort
of
Indian
;
but
Manilla
is
as
a
golden-haired
Circassian
to
behold
.
The
whale-line
is
only
two
thirds
of
an
inch
in
thickness
.
At
first
sight
,
you
would
not
think
it
so
strong
as
it
really
is
.
By
experiment
its
one
and
fifty
yarns
will
each
suspend
a
weight
of
one
hundred
and
twenty
pounds
;
so
that
the
whole
rope
will
bear
a
strain
nearly
equal
to
three
tons
.
In
length
,
the
common
sperm
whale-line
measures
something
over
two
hundred
fathoms
.
Towards
the
stern
of
the
boat
it
is
spirally
coiled
away
in
the
tub
,
not
like
the
worm-pipe
of
a
still
though
,
but
so
as
to
form
one
round
,
cheese-shaped
mass
of
densely
bedded
"
sheaves
,
"
or
layers
of
concentric
spiralizations
,
without
any
hollow
but
the
"
heart
,
"
or
minute
vertical
tube
formed
at
the
axis
of
the
cheese
.
As
the
least
tangle
or
kink
in
the
coiling
would
,
in
running
out
,
infallibly
take
somebody
's
arm
,
leg
,
or
entire
body
off
,
the
utmost
precaution
is
used
in
stowing
the
line
in
its
tub
.
Some
harpooneers
will
consume
almost
an
entire
morning
in
this
business
,
carrying
the
line
high
aloft
and
then
reeving
it
downwards
through
a
block
towards
the
tub
,
so
as
in
the
act
of
coiling
to
free
it
from
all
possible
wrinkles
and
twists
.
In
the
English
boats
two
tubs
are
used
instead
of
one
;
the
same
line
being
continuously
coiled
in
both
tubs
.
There
is
some
advantage
in
this
;
because
these
twin-tubs
being
so
small
they
fit
more
readily
into
the
boat
,
and
do
not
strain
it
so
much
;
whereas
,
the
American
tub
,
nearly
three
feet
in
diameter
and
of
proportionate
depth
,
makes
a
rather
bulky
freight
for
a
craft
whose
planks
are
but
one-half
inch
in
thickness
;
for
the
bottom
of
the
whale-boat
is
like
critical
ice
,
which
will
bear
up
a
considerable
distributed
weight
,
but
not
very
much
of
a
concentrated
one
.
When
the
painted
canvas
cover
is
clapped
on
the
American
tubline
,
the
boat
looks
as
if
it
were
pulling
off
with
a
prodigious
great
wedding-cake
to
present
to
the
whales
.
Both
ends
of
the
line
are
exposed
;
the
lower
end
terminating
in
an
eye-splice
or
loop
coming
up
from
the
bottom
against
the
side
of
the
tub
,
and
hanging
over
its
edge
completely
disengaged
from
everything
.
This
arrangement
of
the
lower
end
is
necessary
on
two
accounts
.
First
:
In
order
to
facilitate
the
fastening
to
it
of
an
additional
line
from
a
neighboring
boat
,
in
case
the
stricken
whale
should
sound
so
deep
as
to
threaten
to
carry
off
the
entire
line
originally
attached
to
the
harpoon
.
In
these
instances
,
the
whale
of
course
is
shifted
like
a
mug
of
ale
,
as
it
were
,
from
the
one
boat
to
the
other
;
though
the
first
boat
always
hovers
at
hand
to
assist
its
consort
.
Second
:
This
arrangement
is
indispensable
for
common
safety
's
sake
;
for
were
the
lower
end
of
the
line
in
any
way
attached
to
the
boat
,
and
were
the
whale
then
to
run
the
line
out
to
the
end
almost
in
a
single
,
smoking
minute
as
he
sometimes
does
,
he
would
not
stop
there
,
for
the
doomed
boat
would
infallibly
be
dragged
down
after
him
into
the
profundity
of
the
sea
;
and
in
that
case
no
town-crier
would
ever
find
her
again
.
Before
lowering
the
boat
for
the
chase
,
the
upper
end
of
the
line
is
taken
aft
from
the
tub
,
and
passing
round
the
loggerhead
there
,
is
again
carried
forward
the
entire
length
of
the
boat
,
resting
crosswise
upon
the
loom
or
handle
of
every
man
's
oar
,
so
that
it
jogs
against
his
wrist
in
rowing
;
and
also
passing
between
the
men
,
as
they
alternately
sit
at
the
opposite
gunwales
,
to
the
leaded
chocks
or
grooves
in
the
extreme
pointed
prow
of
the
boat
,
where
a
wooden
pin
or
skewer
the
size
of
a
common
squill
,
prevents
it
from
slipping
out
.
From
the
chocks
it
hangs
in
a
slight
festoon
over
the
bows
,
and
is
then
passed
inside
the
boat
again
;
and
some
ten
or
twenty
fathoms
(
called
box-line
)
being
coiled
upon
the
box
in
the
bows
,
it
continues
its
way
to
the
gunwale
still
a
little
further
aft
,
and
is
then
attached
to
the
short-warp
--
the
rope
which
is
immediately
connected
with
the
harpoon
;
but
previous
to
that
connexion
,
the
short-warp
goes
through
sundry
mystifications
too
tedious
to
detail
.
Thus
the
whale-line
folds
the
whole
boat
in
its
complicated
coils
,
twisting
and
writhing
around
it
in
almost
every
direction
.
All
the
oarsmen
are
involved
in
its
perilous
contortions
;
so
that
to
the
timid
eye
of
the
landsman
,
they
seem
as
Indian
jugglers
,
with
the
deadliest
snakes
sportively
festooning
their
limbs
.
Nor
can
any
son
of
mortal
woman
,
for
the
first
time
,
seat
himself
amid
those
hempen
intricacies
,
and
while
straining
his
utmost
at
the
oar
,
bethink
him
that
at
any
unknown
instant
the
harpoon
may
be
darted
,
and
all
these
horrible
contortions
be
put
in
play
like
ringed
lightnings
;
he
can
not
be
thus
circumstanced
without
a
shudder
that
makes
the
very
marrow
in
his
bones
to
quiver
in
him
like
a
shaken
jelly
.
Yet
habit
--
strange
thing
!
what
can
not
habit
accomplish
?
--
Gayer
sallies
,
more
merry
mirth
,
better
jokes
,
and
brighter
repartees
,
you
never
heard
over
your
mahogany
,
than
you
will
hear
over
the
half-inch
white
cedar
of
the
whaleboat
,
when
thus
hung
in
hangman
's
nooses
;
and
,
like
the
six
burghers
of
Calais
before
King
Edward
,
the
six
men
composing
the
crew
pull
into
the
jaws
of
death
,
with
a
halter
around
every
neck
,
as
you
may
say
.
