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MOBY DICK
MOBY DICK HERMAN MELVILLE MOBY DICK; OR THE WHITE WHALE
by Herman Melville
CHAPTER 72
The Monkey-Rope
In the tumultuous business of cutting-in and attending to a whale there
is much running backwards and forwards among the crew. Now hands
are wanted here and then again hands are wanted there. There is no
staying in any one place; for at one and the same time everything has
to be done everywhere. It is much the same with him who endeavors the
description of the scene. We must now retrace our way a little. It was
mentioned that upon first breaking ground in the whale's back the
blubber-hook was inserted into the original hole there cut by the spades
of the mates. But how did so clumsy and weighty a mass as that same
hook get fixed in that hole? It was inserted there by my particular friend
Queequeg whose duty it was as harpooneer to descend upon the
monster's back for the special purpose referred to. But in very many cases
circumstances require that the harpooneer shall remain on the whale till the
whole tensing or stripping operation is concluded. The whale be it
observed lies almost entirely submerged excepting the immediate parts
operated upon. So down there some ten feet below the level of the deck
the poor harpooneer flounders about half on the whale and half in the water
as the vast mass revolves like a tread-mill beneath him. On the occasion in
question Queequeg figured in the Highland costume- a shirt and socks- in
which to my eyes at least he appeared to uncommon advantage; and no one
had a better chance to observe him as will presently be seen.
Being the savage's bowsman that is the person who pulled the bow-oar
in his boat (the second one from forward) it was my cheerful duty to
attend upon him while taking that hard-scrabble scramble upon the dead
whale's back. You have seen Italian organ-boys holding a dancing-ape
by a long cord. Just so from the ship's steep side did I hold Queequeg
down there in the sea by what is technically called in the fishery a
monkey-rope attached to a strong strip of canvas belted round his waist.
It was a humorously perilous business for both of us. For before we
proceed further it must be said that the monkey-rope was fast at both
ends; fast to Queequeg's broad canvas belt and fast to my narrow leather
one. So that for better or for worse we two for the time were wedded;
and should poor Queequeg sink to rise no more then both usage and honor
demanded that instead of cutting the cord it should drag me down in his
wake. So then an elongated Siamese ligature united us. Queequeg was
my own inseparable twin brother; nor could I any way get rid of the
dangerous liabilities which the hempen bond entailed.
So strongly and metaphysically did I conceive of my situation then that
while earnestly watching his motions I seemed distinctly to perceive
that my own individuality was now merged in a joint stock company of
two; that my free will had received a mortal wound; and that another's
mistake or misfortune might plunge innocent me into unmerited disaster
and death. Therefore I saw that here was a sort of interregnum in
Providence; for its even-handed equity never could have so gross an
injustice. And yet still further pondering- while I jerked him now and
then from between the whale and ship which would threaten to jam
him - still further pondering I say I saw that this situation of mine was
the precise situation of every mortal that breathes; only in most cases
he one way or other has this Siamese connexion with a plurality of
other mortals. If your banker breaks you snap; if your apothecary by
mistake sends you poison in your pills you die. True you may say that
by exceeding caution you may possibly escape these and the multitudinous
other evil chances of life. But handle Queequeg's monkey-rope heedfully
as I would sometimes he jerked it so that I came very near sliding
overboard. Nor could I possibly forget that do what I would I only had
the management of one end of it.*
*The monkey-rope is found in all whalers; but it was only in the Pequod
that the monkey and his holder were ever tied together. This improvement
upon the original usage was introduced by no less a man than Stubb in
order to afford to the imperilled harpooneer the strongest possible
guarantee for the faithfulness and vigilance of his monkey-rope holder.
I have hinted that I would often jerk poor Queequeg from between the
whale and the ship- where he would occasionally fall from the incessant
rolling and swaying of both. But this was not the only jamming jeopardy
he was exposed to. Unappalled by the massacre made upon them during
the night the sharks now freshly and more keenly allured by the before
pent blood which began to flow from the carcass- the rabid creatures
swarmed round it like bees in a beehive.
And right in among those sharks was Queequeg; who often pushed them
aside with his floundering feet. A thing altogether incredible were it not
that attracted by such prey as a dead whale the otherwise miscellaneously
carnivorous shark will seldom touch a man.
Nevertheless it may well be believed that since they have such a
ravenous finger in the pie it is deemed but wise to look sharp to them.
Accordingly besides the monkey-rope with which I now and then jerked
the poor fellow from too close a vicinity to the maw of what seemed a
peculiarly ferocious shark- he was provided with still another protection.
Suspended over the side in one of the stages Tashtego and Daggoo
continually flourished over his head a couple of keen whale-spades
wherewith they slaughtered as many sharks as they could reach. This
procedure of theirs to be sure was very disinterested and benevolent of
them. They meant Queequeg's best happiness I admit; but in their hasty
zeal to befriend him and from the circumstance that both he and the
sharks were at times half hidden by the blood-muddled water those
indiscreet spades of theirs would come nearer amputating a leg than a
tall. But poor Queequeg I suppose straining and gasping there with
that great iron hook- poor Queequeg I suppose only prayed to his Yojo
and gave up his life into the hands of his gods.
Well well my dear comrade and twin-brother thought I as I drew in
and then slacked off the rope to every swell of the sea- what matters it
after all? Are you not the precious image of each and all of us men in this
whaling world? That unsounded ocean you gasp in is Life; those sharks
your foes; those spades your friends; and what between sharks and
spades you are in a sad pickle and peril poor lad.
But courage! there is good cheer in store for you Queequeg. For now
as with blue lips and blood-shot eyes the exhausted savage at last climbs
up the chains and stands all dripping and involuntarily trembling over
the side; the steward advances and with a benevolent consolatory
glance hands him- what? Some hot Cognac? No! hands him ye gods!
hands him a cup of tepid ginger and water!
"Ginger? Do I smell ginger?" suspiciously asked Stubb coming near.
"Yes this must be ginger" peering into the as yet untasted cup. Then
standing as if incredulous for a while he calmly walked towards the
astonished steward slowly saying "Ginger? ginger? and will you have
the goodness to tell me Mr. Dough-Boy where lies the virtue of ginger?
Ginger! is ginger the sort of fuel you use Dough-boy to kindle a fire in
this shivering cannibal? Ginger!- what the devil is ginger?- sea-coal?
firewood?- lucifer matches?- tinder?- gunpowder?- what the devil is
ginger I say that you offer this cup to our poor Queequeg here."
"There is some sneaking Temperance Society movement about this
business" he suddenly added now approaching Starbuck who had
just come from forward. "Will you look at that kannakin sir; smell
of it if you please." Then watching the mate's countenance he added
"The steward Mr. Starbuck had the face to offer that calomel and
jalap to Queequeg there this instant off the whale. Is the steward an
apothecary sir? and may I ask whether this is the sort of bitters by
which he blows back the life into a half-drowned man?"
"I trust not" said Starbuck "it is poor stuff enough."
"Aye aye steward" cried Stubb "we'll teach you to drug it harpooneer;
none of your apothecary's medicine here; you want to poison us do ye?
You have got out insurances on our lives and want to murder us all and
pocket the proceeds do ye?"
"It was not me" cried Dough-Boy "it was Aunt Charity that brought
the ginger on board; and bade me never give the harpooneers any spirits
but only this ginger-jub- so she called it."
"Ginger-jub! you gingerly rascal! take that! and run along with ye to the
lockers and get something better. I hope I do no wrong Mr. Starbuck.
It is the captain's orders- grog for the harpooneer on a whale."
"Enough" replied Starbuck "only don't hit him again but-"
"Oh I never hurt when I hit except when I hit a whale or something of
that sort; and this fellow's a weazel. What were you about saying sir?"
"Only this: go down with him and get what thou wantest thyself."
When Stubb reappeared he came with a dark flask in one hand and a
sort of tea-caddy in the other. The first contained strong spirits and was
handed to Queequeg; the second was Aunt Charity's gift and that was
freely given to the waves.
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