CHAPTER59Squid

slowlywadingthroughthemeadowsofbrit,thepequodstillheldonherwaynorth-eastwardtowardstheislandofjava;agentleairimpellingherkeel,sothatinthesurroundingserenityherthreetalltaperingmastsmildlywavedtothatlanguidbreeze,asthreemildpalmsonaplain.andstill,atwideintervalsinthesilverynight,thelonely,alluringjetwouldbeseen.

butonetransparentbluemorning,whenastillnessalmostpreternaturalspreadoverthesea,howeverunattendedwithanystagnantcalm;whenthelongburnishedsun-gladeonthewatersseemedagoldenfingerlaidacrossthem,enjoiningsomesecrecy;whentheslipperedwaveswhisperedtogetherastheysoftlyranon;inthisprofoundhushofthevisiblesphereastrangespectrewasseenbyoofromthemainmast-head.

inthedistance,agreatwhitemasslazilyrose,andrisinghigherandhigher,anddisentanglingitselffromtheazure,atlastgleamedbeforeourprowlikeasnow-slide,newslidfromthehills.thusglisteningforamoment,asslowlyitsubsided,andsank.thenoncemorearose,andsilentlygleamed.itseemednotawhale;andyetisthismobydick?thoughtoo.againthephantomwentdown,butonre-appearingoncemore,withastiletto-likecrythatstartledeverymanfromhisnod,thenegroyelledout—"there!thereagain!thereshebreaches!rightahead!thewhitewhale,thewhitewhale!"

uponthis,theseamenrushedtotheyard-arms,asinswarming-timethebeesrushtotheboughs.bareheadedinthesultrysun,ahabstoodonthebowsprit,andwithonehandpushedfarbehindinreadinesstowavehisorderstothehelmsman,casthiseagerglanceinthedirectionindicatedaloftbytheoutstretchedmotionlessarmofoo.

whethertheflittingattendanceoftheonestillandsolitaryjethadgraduallyworkeduponahab,sothathewasnowpreparedtoconnecttheideasofmildnessandreposewiththefirstsightoftheparticularwhalehepursued;howeverthiswas,orwhetherhiseagernessbetrayedhim;whicheverwayitmighthavebeen,nosoonerdidhedistinctlyperceivethewhitemass,thanwithaquickintensityheinstantlygaveordersforlowering.

thefourboatsweresoononthewater;ahab'sinadvance,andallswiftlypullingtowardstheirprey.soonitwentdown,andwhile,withoarssuspended,wewereawaitingitsreappearance,lo!inthesamespotwhereitsank,oncemoreitslowlyrose.almostforgettingforthemomentallthoughtsofmobydick,wenowgazedatthemostwondrousphenomenonwhichthesecretseashavehithertorevealedtomankind.avastpulpymass,furlongsinlengthandbreadth,ofaglancingcream-colour,layfloatingonthewater,innumerablelongarmsradiatingfromitscentre,andcurlingandtwistinglikeanestofanacondas,asifblindlytoclutchatanyhaplessobjectwithinreach.noperceptiblefaceorfrontdidithave;noconceivabletokenofeithersensationorinstinct;butundulatedthereonthebillows,anunearthly,formless,chance-likeapparitionoflife.

aswithalowsuckingsounditslowlydisappearedagain,starbuckstillgazingattheagitatedwaterswhereithadsunk,withawildvoiceexclaimed—"almostratherhadiseenmobydickandfoughthim,thantohaveseenthee,thouwhiteghost!"

"whatwasit,sir?"saidflask.

"thegreatlivesquid,which,theysay,fewwhaleshipseverbeheld,andreturnedtotheirportstotellofit."

butahabsaidnothing;turninghisboat,hesailedbacktothevessel;therestassilentlyfollowing.

whateversuperstitionsthespermwhalemeningeneralhaveconnectedwiththesightofthisobject,certainitis,thataglimpseofitbeingsoveryunusual,thatcircumstancehasgonefartoinvestitwithportentousness.sorarelyisitbeheld,thatthoughoneandallofthemdeclareittobethelargestanimatedthingintheocean,yetveryfewofthemhaveanybutthemostvagueideasconcerningitstruenatureandform;notwithstanding,theybelieveittofurnishtothespermwhalehisonlyfood.forthoughotherspeciesofwhalesfindtheirfoodabovewater,andmaybeseenbymanintheactoffeeding,thespermacetiwhaleobtainshiswholefoodinunknownzonesbelowthesurface;andonlybyinferenceisitthatanyonecantellofwhat,precisely,thatfoodconsists.attimes,whencloselypursued,hewilldisgorgewhataresupposedtobethedetachedarmsofthesquid;someofthemthusexhibitedexceedingtwentyandthirtyfeetinlength.theyfancythatthemonstertowhichthesearmsbelongedordinarilyclingsbythemtothebedoftheocean;andthatthespermwhale,unlikeotherspecies,issuppliedwithteethinordertoattackandtearit.

thereseemssomegroundtoimaginethatthegreatkrakenofbishoppontoppodanmayultimatelyresolveitselfintosquid.themannerinwhichthebishopdescribesit,asalternatelyrisingandsinking,withsomeotherparticularshenarrates,inallthisthetwocorrespond.butmuchabatementisnecessarywithrespecttotheincrediblebulkheassignsit.

bysomenaturalistswhohavevaguelyheardrumorsofthemysteriouscreature,herespokenof,itisincludedamongtheclassofcuttle-fish,towhich,indeed,incertainexternalrespectsitwouldseemtobelong,butonlyastheanakofthetribe.