CHAPTER60TheLine

withreferencetothewhalingsceneshortlytobedescribed,aswellasforthebetterunderstandingofallsimilarsceneselsewherepresented,ihaveheretospeakofthemagical,sometimeshorriblewhale-line.

thelineoriginallyusedinthefisherywasofthebesthemp,slightlyvaporedwithtar,notimpregnatedwithit,asinthecaseofordinaryropes;forwhiletar,asordinarilyused,makesthehempmorepliabletotherope-maker,andalsorenderstheropeitselfmoreconvenienttothesailorforcommonshipuse;yet,notonlywouldtheordinaryquantitytoomuchstiffenthewhale-linefortheclosecoilingtowhichitmustbesubjected;butasmostseamenarebeginningtolearn,taringeneralbynomeansaddstotherope'sdurabilityorstrength,howevermuchitmaygiveitcompactnessandgloss.

oflateyearsthemanillaropehasintheamericanfisheryalmostentirelysupersededhempasamaterialforwhale-lines;for,thoughnotsodurableashemp,itisstronger,andfarmoresoftandelastic;andiwilladd(sincethereisan?stheticsinallthings),ismuchmorehandsomeandbecomingtotheboat,thanhemp.hempisadusky,darkfellow,asortofindian;butmanillaisasagolden-hairedcircassiantobehold.

thewhale-lineisonlytwo-thirdsofaninchinthickness.atfirstsight,youwouldnotthinkitsostrongasitreallyis.byexperimentitsoneandfiftyyarnswilleachsuspendaweightofonehundredandtwentypounds;sothatthewholeropewillbearastrainnearlyequaltothreetons.inlength,thecommonspermwhale-linemeasuressomethingovertwohundredfathoms.towardsthesternoftheboatitisspirallycoiledawayinthetub,notlikethewormpipeofastillthough,butsoastoformoneround,cheese-shapedmassofdenselybedded"sheaves,"orlayersofconcentricspiralizations,withoutanyhollowbutthe"heart,"orminuteverticaltubeformedattheaxisofthecheese.astheleasttangleorkinkinthecoilingwould,inrunningout,infalliblytakesomebody'sarm,leg,orentirebodyoff,theutmostprecautionisusedinstowingthelineinitstub.someharpooneerswillconsumealmostanentiremorninginthisbusiness,carryingthelinehighaloftandthenreevingitdownwardsthroughablocktowardsthetub,soasintheactofcoilingtofreeitfromallpossiblewrinklesandtwists.

intheenglishboatstwotubsareusedinsteadofone;thesamelinebeingcontinuouslycoiledinbothtubs.thereissomeadvantageinthis;becausethesetwintubsbeingsosmalltheyfitmorereadilyintotheboat,anddonotstrainitsomuch;whereas,theamericantub,nearlythreefeetindiameterandofproportionatedepth,makesaratherbulkyfreightforacraftwhoseplanksarebutonehalf-inchinthickness;forthebottomofthewhale-boatislikecriticalice,whichwillbearupaconsiderabledistributedweight,butnotverymuchofaconcentratedone.whenthepaintedcanvascoverisclappedontheamericanline-tub,theboatlooksasifitwerepullingoffwithaprodigiousgreatwedding-caketopresenttothewhales.

bothendsofthelineareexposed;thelowerendterminatinginaneye-spliceorloopcomingupfromthebottomagainstthesideofthetub,andhangingoveritsedgecompletelydisengagedfromeverything.thisarrangementofthelowerendisnecessaryontwoaccounts.first:inordertofacilitatethefasteningtoitofanadditionallinefromaneighboringboat,incasethestrickenwhaleshouldsoundsodeepastothreatentocarryofftheentirelineoriginallyattachedtotheharpoon.intheseinstances,thewhaleofcourseisshiftedlikeamugofale,asitwere,fromtheoneboattotheother;thoughthefirstboatalwayshoversathandtoassistitsconsort.second:thisarrangementisindispensableforcommonsafety'ssake;forwerethelowerendofthelineinanywayattachedtotheboat,andwerethewhalethentorunthelineouttotheendalmostinasingle,smokingminuteashesometimesdoes,hewouldnotstopthere,forthedoomedboatwouldinfalliblybeeddownafterhimintotheprofundityofthesea;andinthatcasenotown-crierwouldeverfindheragain.

beforeloweringtheboatforthechase,theupperendofthelineistakenaftfromthetub,andpassingroundtheerheadthere,isagaincarriedforwardtheentirelengthoftheboat,restingcrosswiseupontheloomorhandleofeveryman'soar,sothatitjogsagainsthiswristinrowing;andalsopassingbetweenthemen,astheyalternatelysitattheoppositegunwales,totheleadedchocksorgroovesintheextremepointedprowoftheboat,whereawoodenpinorskewerthesizeofacommonquill,preventsitfromslippingout.fromthechocksithangsinaslightfestoonoverthebows,andisthenpassedinsidetheboatagain;andsometenortwentyfathoms(calledbox-line)beingcoiledupontheboxinthebows,itcontinuesitswaytothegunwalestillalittlefurtheraft,andisthenattachedtotheshort-warp—theropewhichisimmediatelyconnectedwiththeharpoon;butprevioustothatconnexion,theshort-warpgoesthroughsundrymystificationstootedioustodetail.

thusthewhale-linefoldsthewholeboatinitscomplicatedcoils,twistingandwrithingarounditinalmosteverydirection.alltheoarsmenareinvolvedinitsperilouscontortions;sothattothetimideyeofthelandsman,theyseemasindianlers,withthedeadliestsnakessportivelyfestooningtheirlimbs.norcananysonofmortalwoman,forthefirsttime,seathimselfamidthosehempenintricacies,andwhilestraininghisutmostattheoar,bethinkhimthatatanyunknowninstanttheharpoonmaybedarted,andallthesehorriblecontortionsbeputinplaylikeringedlightnings;hecannotbethuscircumstancedwithoutashudderthatmakestheverymarrowinhisbonestoquiverinhimlikeashakenjelly.yethabit—strangething!whatcannothabitaccomplish?—gayersallies,moremerrymirth,betterjokes,andbrighterrepartees,youneverheardoveryourmahogany,thanyouwillhearoverthehalf-inchwhitecedarofthewhale-boat,whenthushunginhangman'snooses;and,likethesixburghersofcalaisbeforekingedward,thesixmencomposingthecrewpullintothejawsofdeath,withahalteraroundeveryneck,asyoumaysay.

perhapsaverylittlethoughtwillnowenableyoutoaccountforthoserepeatedwhalingdisasters—somefewofwhicharecasuallychronicled—ofthismanorthatmanbeingtakenoutoftheboatbytheline,andlost.for,whenthelineisdartingout,tobeseatedthenintheboat,islikebeingseatedinthemidstofthemanifoldwhizzingsofasteam-engineinfullplay,wheneveryflyingbeam,andshaft,andwheel,isgrazingyou.itisworse;foryoucannotsitmotionlessintheheartoftheseperils,becausetheboatisrockinglikeacradle,andyouarepitchedonewayandtheother,withouttheslightestwarning;andonlybyacertainself-adjustingbuoyancyandsimultaneousnessofvolitionandaction,canyouescapebeingmadeamazeppaof,andrunawaywithwheretheall-seeingsunhimselfcouldneverpierceyouout.

again:astheprofoundcalmwhichonlyapparentlyprecedesandprophesiesofthestorm,isperhapsmoreawfulthanthestormitself;for,indeed,thecalmisbutthewrapperandenvelopeofthestorm;andcontainsitinitself,astheseeminglyharmlessrifleholdsthefatalpowder,andtheball,andtheexplosion;sothegracefulreposeoftheline,asitsilentlyserpentinesabouttheoarsmenbeforebeingbroughtintoactualplay—thisisathingwhichcarriesmoreoftrueterrorthananyotheraspectofthisdangerousaffair.butwhysaymore?allmenliveenvelopedinwhale-lines.allarebornwithhaltersroundtheirnecks;butitisonlywhencaughtintheswift,suddenturnofdeath,thatmortalsrealizethesilent,subtle,ever-presentperilsoflife.andifyoubeaphilosopher,thoughseatedinthewhale-boat,youwouldnotatheartfeelonewhitmoreofterror,thanthoughseatedbeforeyoureveningfirewithapoker,andnotaharpoon,byyourside.