Now, with elated step, they pace the planks in twos and threes,
and humorously discourse of parlors, sofas, carpets, and fine cambrics;
propose to mat the deck; think of having hangings to the top;
object not to taking tea by moonlight on the piazza of the forecastle.
To hint to such musked mariners of oil, and bone, and blubber,
were little short of audacity. They know not the thing you distantly
allude to. Away, and bring us napkins!
But mark: aloft there, at the three mast heads, stand three
men intent on spying out more whales, which, if caught,
infallibly will again soil the old oaken furniture, and drop
at least one small grease-spot somewhere. Yes; and many is
the time, when, after the severest uninterrupted labors, which know
no night; continuing straight through for ninety-six hours;
when from the boat, where they have swelled their wrists
with all day rowing on the Line,--they only step to the deck
to carry vast chains, and heave the heavy windlass, and cut
and slash, yea, and in their very sweatings to be smoked
and burned anew by the combined fires of the equatorial sun
and the equatorial try-works; when, on the heel of all this,
they have finally bestirred themselves to cleanse the ship, and make
a spotless dairy room of it; many is the time the poor fellows,
just buttoning the necks of their clean frocks, are startled
by the cry of "There she blows!" and away they fly to fight
another whale, and go through the whole weary thing again.
Pages:
676
677
678
679
680
681
682
683
684
685
686
687
688
689
690
691
692
693
694
695
696
697
698
699
700