CHAPTER33TheSpecksnyder

concerningtheofficersofthewhale-craft,thisseemsasgoodaplaceasanytosetdownalittledomesticpeculiarityonship-board,arisingfromtheexistenceoftheharpooneerclassofofficers,aclassunknownofcourseinanyothermarinethanthewhale-fleet.

thelargeimportanceattachedtotheharpooneer'svocationisevincedbythefact,thatoriginallyintheolddutchfishery,twocenturiesandmoreago,thecommandofawhaleshipwasnotwhollylodgedinthepersonnowcalledthecaptain,butwasdividedbetweenhimandanofficercalledthespecksnyder.literallythiswordmeansfat-cutter;usage,however,intimemadeitequivalenttochiefharpooneer.inthosedays,thecaptain'sauthoritywasrestrictedtothenavigationandgeneralmanagementofthevessel;whileoverthewhale-huntingdepartmentandallitsconcerns,thespecksnyderorchiefharpooneerreignedsupreme.inthebritishgreenlandfishery,underthecorruptedtitleofspecksioneer,thisolddutchofficialisstillretained,buthisformerdignityissadlyabridged.atpresentherankssimplyasseniorharpooneer;andassuch,isbutoneofthecaptain'smoreinferiorsubalterns.nevertheless,asuponthegoodconductoftheharpooneerstheessofawhalingvoyagelargelydepends,andsinceintheamericanfisheryheisnotonlyanimportantofficerintheboat,butundercertaincircumstances(nightwatchesonawhalingground)thecommandoftheship'sdeckisalsohis;thereforethegrandpoliticalmaximoftheseademands,thatheshouldnominallyliveapartfromthemenbeforethemast,andbeinsomewaydistinguishedastheirprofessionalsuperior;thoughalways,bythem,familiarlyregardedastheirsocialequal.

now,thegranddistinctiondrawnbetweenofficerandmanatsea,isthis—thefirstlivesaft,thelastforward.hence,inwhale-shipsandmerchantmenalike,themateshavetheirquarterswiththecaptain;andso,too,inmostoftheamericanwhalerstheharpooneersarelodgedintheafterpartoftheship.thatistosay,theytaketheirmealsinthecaptain'scabin,andsleepinaplaceindirectlycommunicatingwithit.

thoughthelongperiodofasouthernwhalingvoyage(byfarthelongestofallvoyagesnoworevermadebyman),thepeculiarperilsofit,andthecommunityofinterestprevailingamongacompany,allofwhom,highorlow,dependfortheirprofits,notuponfixedwages,butupontheircommonluck,togetherwiththeircommonvigilance,intrepidity,andhardwork;thoughallthesethingsdoinsomecasestendtobegetalessrigorousdisciplinethaninmerchantmengenerally;yet,nevermindhowmuchlikeanoldmesopotamianfamilythesewhalemenmay,insomeprimitiveinstances,livetogether;forallthat,thepunctiliousexternals,atleast,ofthequarterdeckareseldommateriallyrelaxed,andinnoinstancedoneaway.indeed,manyarethenantucketshipsinwhichyouwillseetheskipperparadinghisquarterdeckwithanelatedgrandeurnotsurpassedinanymilitarynavy;nay,extortingalmostasmuchoutwardhomageasifheworetheimperialpurple,andnottheshabbiestofpilot-cloth.

andthoughofallmenthemoodycaptainofthepequodwastheleastgiventothatsortofshallowestassumption;andthoughtheonlyhomageheeverexacted,wasimplicit,instantaneousobedience;thoughherequirednomantoremovetheshoesfromhisfeeteresteppinguponthequarter-deck;andthoughthereweretimeswhen,owingtopeculiarcircumstancesconnectedwitheventshereaftertobedetailed,headdressedtheminunusualterms,whetherofcondescensionorinterrorem,orotherwise;yetevencaptainahabwasbynomeansunobservantoftheparamountformsandusagesofthesea.

nor,perhaps,willitfailtobeeventuallyperceived,thatbehindthoseformsandusages,asitwere,hesometimesmaskedhimself;incidentallymakinguseofthemforotherandmoreprivateendsthantheywerelegitimatelyintendedtosubserve.thatcertainsultanismofhisbrain,whichhadotherwiseinagooddegreeremainedunmanifested;throughthoseformsthatsamesultanismbecameincarnateinanirresistibledictatorship.forbeaman'sintellectualsuperioritywhatitwill,itcanneverassumethepractical,availablesupremacyoverothermen,withouttheaidofsomesortofexternalartsandentrenchments,always,inthemselves,moreorlesspaltryandbase.thisitis,thatforeverkeepsgod'strueprincesoftheempirefromtheworld'shustings;andleavesthehighesthonorsthatthisaircangive,tothosemenwhobecomefamousmorethroughtheirinfiniteinferioritytothechoicehiddenhandfulofthedivineinert,thanthroughtheirundoubtedsuperiorityoverthedeadlevelofthemass.suchlargevirtuelurksinthesesmallthingswhenextremepoliticalsuperstitionsinvestthem,thatinsomeroyalinstanceseventoidiotimbecilitytheyhaveimpartedpotency.butwhen,asinthecaseofnicholastheczar,theringedcrownofgeographicalempireencirclesanimperialbrain;then,theplebeianherdscrouchabasedbeforethetremendouscentralization.nor,willthetragicdramatistwhowoulddepictmortalindomitablenessinitsfullestsweepanddirectswing,everforgetahint,incidentallysoimportantinhisart,astheonenowalludedto.

butahab,mycaptain,stillmovesbeforemeinallhisnantucketgrimnessandiness;andinthisepisodetouchingemperorsandkings,imustnotconcealthatihaveonlytodowithapooroldwhalehunterlikehim;and,therefore,alloutwardmajesticaltrappingsandhousingsaredeniedme.oh,ahab!whatshallbegrandinthee,itmustneedsbepluckedatfromtheskies,anddivedforinthedeep,andfeaturedintheunbodiedair!