CHAPTER98StowingDownandClearingUp

alreadyhasitbeenrelatedhowthegreatleviathanisafaroffdescriedfromthemasthead;howheischasedoverthewaterymoors,andslaughteredinthevalleysofthedeep;howheisthentowedalongsideandbeheaded;andhow(ontheprinciplewhichentitledtheheadsmanofoldtothegarmentsinwhichthebeheadedwaskilled)hisgreatpaddedsurtoutbecomesthepropertyofhisexecutioner;how,induetime,heiscondemnedtothepots,and,likeshadrach,meshach,andabednego,hisspermaceti,oil,andbonepassunscathedthroughthefire;—butnowitremainstoconcludethelastchapterofthispartofthedescriptionbyrehearsing—singing,ifimay—theromanticproceedingofdecantingoffhisoilintothecasksandstrikingthemdownintothehold,whereonceagainleviathanreturnstohisnativeprofundities,slidingalongbeneaththesurfaceasbefore;but,alas!nevermoretoriseandblow.

whilestillwarm,theoil,likehotpunch,isreceivedintothesix-barrelcasks;andwhile,perhaps,theshipispitchingandrollingthiswayandthatinthemidnightsea,theenormouscasksareslewedroundandheadedover,endforend,andsometimesperilouslyscootacrosstheslipperydeck,likesomanylandslides,tillatlastman-handledandstayedintheircourse;andallroundthehoops,rap,rap,goasmanyhammersascanplayuponthem,fornow,exoffici,everysailorisacooper.

atlength,whenthelastpintiscasked,andalliscool,thenthegreathatchwaysareunsealed,thebowelsoftheshiparethrownopen,anddowngothecaskstotheirfinalrestinthesea.thisdone,thehatchesarereplaced,andhermeticallyclosed,likeaclosetwalledup.

inthespermfishery,thisisperhapsoneofthemostremarkableincidentsinallthebusinessofwhaling.onedaytheplanksstreamwithfreshetsofbloodandoil;onthesacredquarter-deckenormousmassesofthewhale'sheadareprofanelypiled;greatrustycaskslieabout,asinabreweryyard;thesmokefromthetry-workshasbesootedallthebulwarks;themarinersgoaboutsuffusedwithunctuousness;theentireshipseemsgreatleviathanhimself;whileonallhandsthedinisdeafening.

butadayortwoafter,youlookaboutyou,andprickyourearsinthisself-sameship;andwereitnotforthetell-taleboatsandtry-works,youwouldallbutswearyoutrodsomesilentmerchantvessel,withamostscrupulouslyneatcommander.theunmanufacturedspermoilpossessesasingularlycleansingvirtue.thisisthereasonwhythedecksneverlooksowhiteasjustafterwhattheycallanaffairofoil.besides,fromtheashesoftheburnedscrapsofthewhale,apotentlyeisreadilymade;andwheneveranyadhesivenessfromthebackofthewhaleremainsclingingtotheside,thatlyequicklyexterminatesit.handsgodiligentlyalongthebulwarks,andwithbucketsofwaterandragsrestorethemtotheirfulltidiness.thesootisbrushedfromthelowering.allthenumerousimplementswhichhavebeeninusearelikewisefaithfullycleansedandputaway.thegreathatchisscrubbedandplaceduponthetry-works,completelyhidingthepots;everycaskisoutofsight;alltacklesarecoiledinunseennooks;andwhenbythecombinedandsimultaneousindustryofalmosttheentireship'scompany,thewholeofthisconscientiousdutyisatlastconcluded,thenthecrewthemselvesproceedtotheirownablutions;shiftthemselvesfromtoptotoe;andfinallyissuetotheimmaculatedeck,freshandallaglow,asbridegroomsnew-leapedfromoutthedaintiestholland.

now,withelatedstep,theypacetheplanksintwosandthrees,andhumorouslydiscourseofparlors,sofas,carpets,andfinecambrics;proposetomatthedeck;thinkofhavinghangingtothetop;objectnottotakingteabymoonlightonthepiazzaoftheforecastle.tohinttosuchmuskedmarinersofoil,andbone,andblubber,werelittleshortofaudacity.theyknownotthethingyoudistantlyalludeto.away,andbringusnapkins!

butmark:aloftthere,atthethreemastheads,standthreemenintentonspyingoutmorewhales,which,ifcaught,infalliblywillagainsoiltheoldoakenfurniture,anddropatleastonesmallgreasespotsomewhere.yes;andmanyisthetime,when,aftertheseverestuninterruptedlabors,whichknownonight;continuingstraightthroughforninety-sixhours;whenfromtheboat,wheretheyhaveswelledtheirwristswithalldayrowingontheline,—theyonlysteptothedecktocarryvastchains,andheavetheheavywindlass,andcutandslash,yea,andintheirverysweatingstobesmokedandburnedanewbythecombinedfiresoftheequatorialsunandtheequatorialtry-works;when,ontheheelofallthis,theyhavefinallybestirredthemselvestocleansetheship,andmakeaspotlessdairyroomofit;manyisthetimethepoorfellows,justbuttoningthenecksoftheircleanfrocks,arestartledbythecryof"theresheblows!"andawaytheyflytofightanotherwhaleandgothroughthewholewearythingagain.oh!myfriends,butthisisman-killing!yetthisislife.forhardlyhavewemortalsbylongtoilingsextractedfromthisworld'svastbulkitssmallbutvaluablesperm;andthen,withwearypatience,cleansedourselvesfromitsdefilements,andlearnedtolivehereincleantabernaclesofthesoul;hardlyisthisdone,when—theresheblows!—theghostisspoutedup,andawaywesailtofightsomeotherworld,andgothroughyounglife'soldroutineagain.

oh!themetempsychosis!oh!pythagoras,thatinbrightgreece,twothousandyearsago,diddie,sogood,sowise,somild;isailedwiththeealongtheperuviancoastlastvoyage—and,foolishasiam,taughtthee,agreensimpleboy,howtosplicearope!