The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-12-20
CHASING AND KiELING A WHALE.


Mr. Herman Melville, author Of "Typce"
and "omoo," has given to The public new
sea story, entitled "Aioby Dick" describing a
,maryelous cruise by a New England whal-
ing monomoniac Aher the aforesaid "Aioby
Dick" great wlStc whale, the fabulous lc-
viathan Of the sailors. Afr NJ Ia the course
OF his book cis Us in TO all the realities Of ac-
tual whaling as minuteIy and faithfully as sea
author has ever done. Suljolned will be-
fouod highly Interesting passage relating to
the capture and death of the wialc'
Ito Starbuek the apporiton Of the Squid
was thing o. .porfents, 10 Qucequeg i was
, quite different object
when YOU sec him, quid, said the savage,
boning his harpoon in the bow Of his hoisted
boat, "then you quick sec bim, parm whale
Tho next day wbs exceedingly still and
sultry, aud with nothing special to engage
Them, the Pequod's crew could hardly resist
the spell Of sleep induced by such a vacant
sea. For this part ofthe Indian Ocean thro'
which we were then voyaging is not what
whalcmcn call lively ground that is, Il a(.
fords fewer glimpses Of porPoises, do'phins,
flying fish, and other vivacious denizcns OF
more stirring waters, than those Of the Rio
ds-4a Plata or tho inshnrc ground % Peru.
II was my turn 10 stand at the ioren,asi
head; and with my shoulders leaning against
the slackrncd royal shrouds, to and fro idly
swaycd in what seemed an cnchantcd air.
No resolution gould withstand it; in that
dreamy mood tossing all consciousness, at lasl
my soul went out of my body; though nay
body CONTINUED to sway as n pendulum will,
long after the power that moved It is with
drawn.
Ere forgctfulucss came over me, had no
ticed that the scamcn on the main and mizen
mast heads were already drowsy. So at last
alEthrec of us liielcssly swung from the spars
and for every swing that we made there wa'
= nod from below from the sumbering helms
man. The waves, too, nodded their indolcnt
crcsts and across the wide trance of the sea
east nodded to west, and the sun over all.
Suddenly bubbles seemed bursting beneath
my closed eyes; like vises my hands graspec
theshrouds; some invisible, gracious agency
preserved me; with shock came back t'
life. Itrd4ol close under our lee, not forty
fathoms off, a gigantic sperm whale lay roll
ing in the water like the tapsized hull of I
frigate, his broad, glossy back, of an Ethiopi
an hue, glistening in the suns rays like
mirror, But laziIy undulnting in the trougI
$ Of the sea, and ever and anon tranquil,
{ spouting his vapory jet, the whale looked lik'
9 party burgher, smoking his pipe of a warn
afternooa{ But that pipe, poor whale, wa
}. thy last. As ifby some enchanter's wand, tn
o sleepy ship and every sleeper in it all at ono
d started into wakefulness; and more than
score Of voices from all parts Of the vessel
d I simultaneously with tho three notes from n
@ loft, shouted forth tho accustomed cry, as th
G great fish slowly and regularly spouted tn
9 sparkling brine into the air.
y "Cleat away the boats LufT" cried a
c hab. And obeying his own order, he dashe
the helm down before the helmsman coul
IS handle the spokcs. .....
e The sudden exclamations OF the crew mu:
c have alarmed the whale; and ere the boat
: wero down, maiestically turning, he swan a
t, way to the lecward, but with such stead
y tranquility, and making SO few ripples as h
{ swan, that thiAking after all he might not q
e vet be alarmed, Ahab gave orders that nj
d an oar should be used and no man mnstspea
d hut in whispers. So, seated like Ontario II
3 dians on tho gunwales of the boats, we swift
:. ly but silently padded along the calm ne
c admitting of the noiseless sails being set
n Presently, as we thus glided in the chase, th
!. monster perpendieularly, fitted his tail fort
d feet into the air, and then sank out of sigi
{ like a tower swallowed up.
s "Thcrc 90 fiukcs I" was the cry, an al
IS nouncement Immediately followed by Stubb
d producing his match and igniting his pipe,ie
p now respite was granted After a full II
e Itorval Of bis sounding had elapsed, the whaI
+ rose again, and boing now in advance Of t'
u smokers boat, and much nearer 10 IL than an
e of the othor's, Stnbb counted on the honor
II the captura. Il was Obvious now that d
! -hale hal at Isng'h become aware Of hisPu'