CHAPTER96TheTry-Works

besidesherhoistedboats,anamericanwhalerisoutwardlydistinguishedbyhertry-works.shepresentsthecuriousanomalyofthemostsolidmasonryjoiningwithoakandhempinconstitutingthecompletedship.itisasiffromtheopenfieldabrickkilnweretransportedtoherplanks.

thetry-worksareplantedbetweentheforemastandmainmast,themostroomypartofthedeck.thetimbersbeneathareofapeculiarstrength,fittedtosustaintheweightofanalmostsolidmassofbrickandmortar,sometenfeetbyeightsquare,andfiveinheight.thefoundationdoesnotpenetratethedeck,butthemasonryisfirmlysecuredtothesurfacebyponderouskneesofironbracingitonallsides,andscrewingitdowntothetimbers.ontheflanksitiscasedwithwood,andattopcompletelycoveredbyalarge,sloping,battenedhatchway.removingthishatchweexposethegreattry-pots,twoinnumber,andeachofseveralbarrels'capacity.whennotinuse,theyarekeptremarkablyclean.sometimestheyarepolishedwithsoapstoneandsand,tilltheyshinewithinlikesilverpunch-bowls.duringthenightwatchessomecynicaloldsailorswillcrawlintothemandcoilthemselvesawaythereforanap.whileemployedinpolishingthem—onemanineachpot,sidebyside—manyconfidentialcommunicationsarecarriedon,overtheironlips.itisaplacealsoforprofoundmathematicalmeditation.itwasinthelefthandtry-potofthepequod,withthesoapstonediligentlycirclingroundme,thatiwasfirstindirectlystruckbytheremarkablefact,thatingeometryallbodiesglidingalongthecycloid,mysoapstoneforexample,willdescendfromanypointinpreciselythesametime.

removingthefire-boardfromthefrontofthetryworks,thebaremasonryofthatsideisexposed,penetratedbythetwoironmouthsofthefurnaces,directlyunderneaththepots.thesemouthsarefittedwithheavydoorsofiron.theintenseheatofthefireispreventedfromcommunicatingitselftothedeck,bymeansofashallowreservoirextendingundertheentireinclosedsurfaceoftheworks.byatunnelinsertedattherear,thisreservoiriskeptreplenishedwithwaterasfastasitevaporates.therearenoexternalchimneys;theyopendirectfromtherearwall.andhereletusgobackforamoment.

itwasaboutnineo'clockatnightthatthepequod'stry-workswerefirststartedonthispresentvoyage.itbelongedtostubbtooverseethebusiness.

"allreadythere?offhatch,then,andstarther.youcook,firetheworks."thiswasaneasything,forthecarpenterhadbeenthrustinghisshavingsintothefurnacethroughoutthepassage.herebeitsaidthatinawhalingvoyagethefirstfireinthetrworkshastobefedforatimewithwood.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.wewereclearfromthecarcase;sailhadbeenmade;thewindwasfreshening;thewildoceandarknesswasintense.butthatdarknesswaslickedupbythefierceflames,whichatintervalsforkedforthfromthesootyflues,andilluminatedeveryloftyropeintheing,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,sosoonasibegantoyieldtothatountabledrowsinesswhicheverwouldcomeovermeatamidnighthelm.

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,whenitrednessmakesallthingslookghastly.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.