CHAPTER95TheCassock

hadyousteppedonboardthepequodatacertainjunctureofthispost-mortemizingofthewhale;andhadyoustrolledforwardnighthewindlass,prettysureamithatyouwouldhavescannedwithnosmallcuriosityaverystrange,enigmaticalobject,whichyouwouldhaveseenthere,lyingalonglengthwiseintheleescuppers.notthewondrouscisterninthewhale'shugehead;nottheprodigyofhisunhingedlowerjaw;notthemiracleofhissymmetricaltail;noneofthesewouldsosurpriseyou,ashalfaglimpseofthatountablecone,—longerthanakentuckianistall,nighafootindiameteratthebase,andjet-blackasyojo,theebonyidolofqueequeg.andanidol,indeed,itis;or,rather,inoldtimes,itslikenesswas.suchanidolasthatfoundinthesecretgrovesofqueenmaachahinjudea;andforworshippingwhich,kingasa,herson,diddeposeher,anddestroyedtheidol,andburntitforanabominationatthebrookkedron,asdarklysetforthinthe15thchapterofthefirstbookofkings.

lookatthesailor,calledthemincer,whonowcomesalong,andassistedbytwoallies,heavilybacksthegrandissimus,asthemarinerscallit,andwithbowedshoulders,ersoffwithitasifhewereagrenadiercarryingadeadcomradefromthefield.extendingitupontheforecastledeck,henowproceedscylindricallytoremoveitsdarkpelt,asanafricanhunterthepeltofaboa.thisdoneheturnsthepeltinsideout,likeapantaloonleg;givesitagoodstretching,soasalmosttodoubleitsdiameter;andatlasthangsit,wellspread,intheing,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![1]

[1]bibleleaves!bibleleaves!thisistheinvariablecryfromthematestothemincer.itenjoinshimtobecareful,andcuthisworkintoasthinslicesaspossible,inasmuchasbysodoingthebusinessofboilingouttheoilismuchaccelerated,anditsquantityconsiderablyincreased,besidesperhapsimprovingitinquality.