Chapter 12, The Line Throughout this long tale of mine, I have described the many duties of a whaling ship crew.
I have told you about meals and mending sails and mats.
I have told you about harpoons and harpooners.
I have described chasing whales and boats and the danger of being knocked overboard, but I have yet to describe the use of ropes.
This may seem like a small matter, but it is very important.
A sailor uses rope for almost any job on board the ship.
We have dozens of different knots that we use for different jobs.
One of the most important times rope is used is after a whale has been killed.
We need to use great lines of rope when pulling in the massive beasts.
When the whale is alongside the ship, it is secured with chains and ropes.
A whale could be as long as the ship. or longer, so this is a very difficult task.
Ropes are tied from one side of the ship to the other using rails and masts for support.
These crisscrossed lines are high above the deck.
Men perch on top of these woven ropes.
As the whale gets pulled in, the ropes must be constantly tightened and adjusted.
If you're not very careful, the whole ship could sink under the whale's weight.
It is very dangerous work.
Not only is it hard to stay in place as the ship rocks with the freight of a whale, but it is very dangerous to fall.
You could hit the deck from such a height and you could also become tangled in the ropes on your way down.
More than one sailor has been hanged in this way.
"'Rope is one of our most important tools, so we treat it with respect.
We always leave the rope just as we would like to find it.
This is especially important when we are in a great rush.
For instance, when we are coiling a rope for the harpooner, we make sure it is prepared properly.
We leave it in a circle, the rope stacked on itself as we wind it around.'
This keeps the rope free of knots.
It also means that when the harpoon is thrown, the rope can follow easily behind it.
Nothing will block its way.
There will be no tangles or obstacles.
When you are a sailor, especially when you are on board a whaling ship, you must be prepared for any emergency.
Things can change in an instant.
When you are hunting a whale, you must react quickly.
You cannot be concerned about where to find a rope.
Everything must be ready to go.
It was a part of our daily routine.
We checked to make sure the rope was ready.
We made sure that each of the whale boats had its oars and lines and buckets to bail out excess water.
This was how we started each day.
And so it was a day like almost any other when I climbed into the masthead to start my shift.
It was warm.
The slow roll of the waves and sun bouncing off the water was very soothing.
I looked into the distance over the water and was quickly lost in my dreams.
Suddenly, I spotted bubbles and a spout of water.
There was a giant whale rolling in the waters near the Pequod.
When it breathed out, water spouted far into the air.
Oh, it was a beautiful sight.
It was a shame that this was the end for this fine creature.
I gave the call.
There she blows!
Captain Ahab called everyone into the boats, and we were off again.
All four boats scrambled to get beside the whale.
It was a frantic time.
Stubbs and his team went in for the kill.
He called for his men to wet the lines.
This meant that the ropes were getting too hot from all the strain.
Stubbs' men dropped water over them to cool them down.
There was always the danger that the ropes could burst into flames.
Stubbs Harpooner sank his spear into the whale's back.
The whale struggled for some time until its heart gave out.
The Pequod pulled in close.
We all worked, the men in our boat and the crew on the Pequod, to drag the whale to the ship.
Then we pulled the whale apart to store its meat and oil for later.
We had to do this fairly quickly because sharks were always swift to come and feast.
Captain Ahab was not as excited about the catch as the rest of us.
I think this whale reminded him of another.
He was thinking too much about Moby Dick, and this put him in a foul mood.
