CHAPTER118TheQuadrant

theseasonforthelineatlengthdrewnear;andeverydaywhenahab,comingfromhiscabin,casthiseyesaloft,thevigilanthelmsmanwouldostentatiouslyhandlehisspokes,andtheeagermarinersquicklyruntothebraces,andwouldstandtherewithalltheireyescentrallyfixedonthenaileddoubloon;impatientfortheordertopointtheship'sprowfortheequator.ingoodtimetheordercame.itwasharduponhighnoon;andahab,seatedinthebowsofhishigh-hoistedboat,wasabouttakinghiswonteddailyobservationofthesuntodeterminehislatitude.

now,inthatjapanesesea,thedaysinsummerareasfreshetsofeffulgences.thatunblinkinglyvividjapanesesunseemstheblazingfocusoftheglassyocean'simmeasurableburning-glass.theskylookslacquered;cloudstherearenone;thehorizonfloats;andthisnakednessofunrelievedradianceisastheinsufferablesplendorsofgod'sthrone.wellthatahab'squadrantwasfurnishedwithcolouredglasses,throughwhichtotakesightofthatsolarfire.so,swinginghisseatedformtotherolloftheship,andwithhisastrological-lookinginstrumentplacedtohiseye,heremainedinthatpostureforsomemomentstocatchthepreciseinstantwhenthesunshouldgainitsprecisemeridian.meantimewhilehiswholeattentionwasabsorbed,theparseewaskneelingbeneathhimontheship'sdeck,andwithfacethrownuplikeahab's,waseyeingthesamesunwithhim;onlythelidsofhiseyeshalfhoodedtheirorbs,andhiswildfacewassubduedtoanearthlypassionlessness.atlengththedesiredobservationwastaken;andwithhispenciluponhisivoryleg,ahabsooncalculatedwhathislatitudemustbeatthatpreciseinstant.thenfallingintoamoment'srevery,heagainlookeduptowardsthesunandmurmuredtohimself:"thousea-mark!thouhighandmightypilot!thoutellestmetrulywhereiam—butcanstthoucasttheleasthintwhereishallbe?orcanstthoutellwheresomeotherthingbesidesmeisthismomentliving?whereismobydick?thisinstantthoumustbeeyeinghim.theseeyesofminelookintotheveryeyethatisevennowbeholdinghim;aye,andintotheeyethatisevennowequallybeholdingtheobjectsontheunknown,thithersideofthee,thousun!"

thengazingathisquadrant,andhandling,oneaftertheother,itsnumerouscabalisticalcontrivances,heponderedagain,andmuttered:"foolishtoy!babies'playthingofhaughtyadmirals,andcommodores,andcaptains;theworldbragsofthee,ofthycunningandmight;butwhatafterallcanstthoudo,buttellthepoor,pitifulpoint,wherethouthyselfhappenesttobeonthiswideplanet,andthehandthatholdsthee:no!notonejotmore!thoucanstnottellwhereonedropofwateroronegrainofsandwillbeto-morrownoon;andyetwiththyimpotencethouinsultestthesun!science!cursethee,thouvaintoy;andcursedbeallthethingsthatcastman'seyesalofttothatheaven,whoselivevividnessbutscorcheshim,astheseoldeyesareevennowscorchedwiththylight,osun!levelbynaturetothisearth'shorizonaretheglancesofman'seyes;notshotfromthecrownofhishead,asifgodhadmeanthimtogazeonhisfirmament.cursethee,thouquadrant!"dashingittothedeck,"nolongerwilliguidemyearthlywaybythee;thelevelship'scompass,andtheleveldead-reckoning,bylogandbyline;theseshallconductme,andshowmemyplaceonthesea.aye,"lightingfromtheboattothedeck,"thusitrampleonthee,thoupaltrythingthatfeeblypointestonhigh;thusisplitanddestroythee!"

asthefranticoldmanthusspokeandthustrampledwithhisliveanddeadfeet,asneeringtriumphthatseemedmeantforahab,andafatalisticdespairthatseemedmeantforhimself—thesepassedoverthemute,motionlessparsee'sface.unobservedheroseandglidedaway;while,awestruckbytheaspectoftheircommander,theseamenclusteredtogetherontheforecastle,tillahab,troubledlypacingthedeck,shoutedout—"tothebraces!uphelm!—squarein!"

inaninstanttheyardsswunground;andastheshiphalf-wheeleduponherheel,herthreefirm-seatedgracefulmastserectlypoiseduponherlong,ribbedhull,seemedasthethreehoratiipirouettingononesufficientsteed.

standingbetweentheknight-heads,starbuckwatchedthepequod'stumultuousway,andahab'salso,ashewentlurchingalongthedeck.

"ihavesatbeforethedensecoalfireandwatcheditallaglow,fullofitstormentedflaminglife;andihaveseenitwaneatlast,down,down,todumbestdust.oldmanofoceans!ofallthisfierylifeofthine,whatwillatlengthremainbutonelittleheapofashes!"

"aye,"criedstubb,"butsea-coalashes—mindyethat,mr.starbuck—sea-coal,notyourcommoncharcoal.well,well;iheardahabmutter,'heresomeonethruststhesecardsintotheseoldhandsofmine;swearsthatimustplaythem,andnoothers.'anddamnme,ahab,butthouactestright;liveinthegame,anddieinit!"