CHAPTER 35 The Mast-Head

Itwasduringthemorepleasantweather,thatinduerotationwiththeotherseamenmyfirstmast-headcameround.

InmostAmericanwhalementhemast-headsaremannedalmostsimultaneouslywiththevessel'sleavingherport;eventhoughshemayhavefifteenthousandmiles,andmore,tosailerereachingherpropercruisingground.Andif,afterathree,four,orfiveyears'voyagesheisdrawingnighhomewithanythingemptyinher—say,anemptyvialeven—then,hermast-headsarekeptmannedtothelast;andnottillherskysail-polessailinamongthespiresoftheport,doesshealtogetherrelinquishthehopeofcapturingonewhalemore.

Now,asthebusinessofstandingmast-heads,ashoreorafloat,isaveryancientandinterestingone,letusinsomemeasureexpatiatehere.Itakeit,thattheearlieststandersofmast-headsweretheoldEgyptians;because,inallmyresearches,Ifindnonepriortothem.Forthoughtheirprogenitors,thebuildersofBabel,mustdoubtless,bytheirtower,haveintendedtoreartheloftiestmast-headinallAsia,orAfricaeither;yet(erethefinaltruckwasputtoit)asthatgreatstonemastoftheirsmaybesaidtohavegonebytheboard,inthedreadgaleofGod'swrath;therefore,wecannotgivetheseBabelbuilderspriorityovertheEgyptians.AndthattheEgyptianswereanationofmast-headstanders,isanassertionbaseduponthegeneralbeliefamongarch?ologists,thatthefirstpyramidswerefoundedforastronomicalpurposes:atheorysingularlysupportedbythepeculiarstair-likeformationofallfoursidesofthoseedifices;whereby,withprodigiouslongupliftingsoftheirlegs,thoseoldastronomerswerewonttomounttotheapex,andsingoutfornewstars;evenasthelook-outsofamodernshipsingoutforasail,orawhalejustbearinginsight.InSaintStylites,thefamousChristianhermitofoldtimes,whobuilthimaloftystonepillarinthedesertandspentthewholelatterportionofhislifeonitssummit,hoistinghisfoodfromthegroundwithatackle;inhimwehavearemarkableinstanceofadauntlessstander-of-mast-heads;whowasnottobedrivenfromhisplacebyfogsorfrosts,rain,hail,orsleet;butvaliantlyfacingeverythingouttothelast,literallydiedathispost.Ofmodernstanders-of-mastheadswehavebutalifelessset;merestone,iron,andbronzemen;who,thoughwellcapableoffacingoutastiffgale,arestillentirelyincompetenttothebusinessofsingingoutupondiscoveringanystrangesight.ThereisNapoleon;who,uponthetopofthecolumnofVendome,standswitharmsfolded,someonehundredandfiftyfeetintheair;careless,now,whorulesthedecksbelow;whetherLouisPhilippe,LouisBlanc,orLouistheDevil.GreatWashington,too,standshighaloftonhistoweringmain-mastinBaltimore,andlikeoneofHercules'pillars,hiscolumnmarksthatpointofhumangrandeurbeyondwhichfewmortalswillgo.AdmiralNelson,also,onacapstanofgun-metal,standshismast-headinTrafalgarSquare;andeverwhenmostobscuredbythatLondonsmoke,tokenisyetgiventhatahiddenheroisthere;forwherethereissmoke,mustbefire.ButneithergreatWashington,norNapoleon,norNelson,willanswerasinglehailfrombelow,howevermadlyinvokedtobefriendbytheircounselsthedistracteddecksuponwhichtheygaze;howeveritmaybesurmised,thattheirspiritspenetratethroughthethickhazeofthefuture,anddescrywhatshoalsandwhatrocksmustbeshunned.

Itmayseemunwarrantabletocoupleinanyrespectthemast-headstandersofthelandwiththoseofthesea;butthatintruthitisnotso,isplainlyevincedbyanitemforwhichObedMacy,thesolehistorianofNantucket,standsaccountable.TheworthyObedtellsus,thatintheearlytimesofthewhalefishery,ereshipswereregularlylaunchedinpursuitofthegame,thepeopleofthatislanderectedloftysparsalongthesea-coast,towhichthelook-outsascendedbymeansofnailedcleats,somethingasfowlsgoupstairsinahen-house.AfewyearsagothissameplanwasadoptedbytheBaywhalemenofNewZealand,who,upondescryingthegame,gavenoticetothereadymannedboatsnighthebeach.Butthiscustomhasnowbecomeobsolete;turnwethentotheonepropermast-head,thatofawhale-shipatsea.Thethreemastheadsarekeptmannedfromsun-risetosun-set;theseamentakingtheirregularturns(asatthehelm),andrelievingeachothereverytwohours.Inthesereneweatherofthetropicsitisexceedinglypleasantthemast-head;nay,toadreamymeditativemanitisdelightful.Thereyoustand,ahundredfeetabovethesilentdecks,stridingalongthedeep,asifthemastsweregiganticstilts,whilebeneathyouandbetweenyourlegs,asitwere,swimthehugestmonstersofthesea,evenasshipsoncesailedbetweenthebootsofthefamousColossusatoldRhodes.Thereyoustand,lostintheinfiniteseriesofthesea,withnothingruffledbutthewaves.Thetrancedshipindolentlyrolls;thedrowsytradewindsblow;everythingresolvesyouintolanguor.Forthemostpart,inthistropicwhalinglife,asublimeuneventfulnessinvestsyou;youhearnonews;readnogazettes;extraswithstartlingaccountsofcommonplacesneverdeludeyouintounnecessaryexcitements;youhearofnodomesticafflictions;bankruptsecurities;fallofstocks;arenevertroubledwiththethoughtofwhatyoushallhavefordinner—forallyourmealsforthreeyearsandmorearesnuglystowedincasks,andyourbilloffareisimmutable.

Inoneofthosesouthernwhalesmen,onalongthreeorfouryears'voyage,asoftenhappens,thesumofthevarioushoursyouspendatthemast-headwouldamounttoseveralentiremonths.Anditismuchtobedeploredthattheplacetowhichyoudevotesoconsiderableaportionofthewholetermofyournaturallife,shouldbesosadlydestituteofanythingapproachingtoacosyinhabitiveness,oradaptedtobreedacomfortablelocalnessoffeeling,suchaspertainstoabed,ahammock,ahearse,asentrybox,apulpit,acoach,oranyotherofthosesmallandsnugcontrivancesinwhichmentemporarilyisolatethemselves.Yourmostusualpointofperchistheheadofthet'gallant-mast,whereyoustandupontwothinparallelsticks(almostpeculiartowhalemen)calledthet'gallantcross-trees.Here,tossedaboutbythesea,thebeginnerfeelsaboutascosyashewouldstandingonabull'shorns.Tobesure,incoldweatheryoumaycarryyourhousealoftwithyou,intheshapeofawatch-coat;butproperlyspeakingthethickestwatchcoatisnomoreofahousethantheuncladbody;forasthesoulisgluedinsideofitsfleshytabernacle,andcannotfreelymoveaboutinit,norevenmoveoutofit,withoutrunninggreatriskofperishing(likeanignorantpilgrimcrossingthesnowyAlpsinwinter);soawatch-coatisnotsomuchofahouseasitisamereenvelope,oradditionalskinencasingyou.Youcannotputashelforchestofdrawersinyourbody,andnomorecanyoumakeaconvenientclosetofyourwatch-coat.

Concerningallthis,itismuchtobedeploredthatthemast-headsofasouthernwhaleshipareunprovidedwiththoseenviablelittletentsorpulpits,calledcrow's-nests,inwhichthelook-outsofaGreenlandwhalerareprotectedfromtheinclementweatherofthefrozenseas.InthefiresidenarrativeofCaptainSleet,entitled"AVoyageamongtheIcebergs,inquestoftheGreenlandWhale,andincidentallyforthere-discoveryoftheLostIcelandicColoniesofOldGreenland;"inthisadmirablevolume,allstandersofmast-headsarefurnishedwithacharminglycircumstantialaccountofthethenrecentlyinventedcrow's-nestoftheGlacier,whichwasthenameofCaptainSleet'sgoodcraft.HecalledittheSleet'scrow's-nest,inhonorofhimself;hebeingtheoriginalinventorandpatentee,andfreefromallridiculousfalsedelicacy,andholdingthatifwecallourownchildrenafterourownnames(wefathersbeingtheoriginalinventorsandpatentees),solikewiseshouldwedenominateafterourselvesanyotherapparatuswemaybeget.Inshape,theSleet'scrow's-nestissomethinglikealargetierceorpipe;itisopenabove,however,whereitisfurnishedwithamovableside-screentokeeptowindwardofyourheadinahardgale.Beingfixedonthesummitofthemast,youascendintoitthroughalittletrap-hatchinthebottom.Ontheafterside,orsidenextthesternoftheship,isacomfortableseat,withalockerunderneathforumbrellas,comforters,andcoats.Infrontisaleatherrack,inwhichtokeepyourspeakingtrumpet,pipe,telescope,andothernauticalconveniences.WhenCaptainSleetinpersonstoodhismast-headinthiscrow's-nestofhis,hetellsusthathealwayshadariflewithhim(alsofixedintherack),togetherwithpowderflaskandshot,forthepurposeofpoppingoffthestraynarwhales,orvagrantseaunicornsinfestingthosewaters;foryoucannotsuccessfullyshootatthemfromthedeckowingtotheresistanceofthewater,buttoshootdownuponthemisaverydifferentthing.Now,itwasplainlyalaborofloveforCaptainSleettodescribe,ashedoes,allthelittledetailedconveniencesofhiscrow's-nest;butthoughhesoenlargesuponmanyofthese,andthoughhetreatsustoaveryscientificaccountofhisexperimentsinthiscrow's-nest,withasmallcompasshekeptthereforthepurposeofcounteractingtheerrorsresultingfromwhatiscalledthe"localattraction"ofallbinnaclemagnets;anerrorascribabletothehorizontalvicinityoftheironintheship'splanks,andintheGlacier'scase,perhaps,totherehavingbeensomanybrokendownblacksmithsamonghercrew;Isay,thatthoughtheCaptainisverydiscreetandscientifichere,yet,forallhislearned"binnacledeviations,""azimuthcompassobservations,"and"approximateerrors,"heknowsverywell,CaptainSleet,thathewasnotsomuchimmersedinthoseprofoundmagneticmeditations,astofailbeingattractedoccasionallytowardsthatwellreplenishedlittlecase-bottle,sonicelytuckedinononesideofhiscrow'snest,withineasyreachofhishand.Though,uponthewhole,Igreatlyadmireandevenlovethebrave,thehonest,andlearnedCaptain;yetItakeitveryillofhimthatheshouldsoutterlyignorethatcase-bottle,seeingwhatafaithfulfriendandcomforteritmusthavebeen,whilewithmittenedfingersandhoodedheadhewasstudyingthemathematicsaloftthereinthatbird'snestwithinthreeorfourperchesofthepole.

ButifweSouthernwhale-fishersarenotsosnuglyhousedaloftasCaptainSleetandhisGreenlandmenwere;yetthatdisadvantageisgreatlycounter-balancedbythewidelycontrastingserenityofthoseseductiveseasinwhichweSouthfishersmostlyfloat.Forone,Iusedtoloungeuptheriggingveryleisurely,restinginthetoptohaveachatwithQueequeg,oranyoneelseoffdutywhomImightfindthere;thenascendingalittlewayfurther,andthrowingalazylegoverthetop-sailyard,takeapreliminaryviewofthewaterypastures,andsoatlastmounttomyultimatedestination.

Letmemakeacleanbreastofithere,andfranklyadmitthatIkeptbutsorryguard.Withtheproblemoftheuniverserevolvinginme,howcouldI—beingleftcompletelytomyselfatsuchathought-engenderingaltitude—howcouldIbutlightlyholdmyobligationstoobserveallwhale-ships'standingorders,"Keepyourweathereyeopen,andsingouteverytime."

Andletmeinthisplacemovinglyadmonishyou,yeship-ownersofNantucket!Bewareofenlistinginyourvigilantfisheriesanyladwithleanbrowandholloweye;giventounseasonablemeditativeness;andwhoofferstoshipwiththePh?doninsteadofBowditchinhishead.Bewareofsuchanone,Isay;yourwhalesmustbeseenbeforetheycanbekilled;andthissunken-eyedyoungPlatonistwilltowyoutenwakesroundtheworld,andnevermakeyouonepintofspermthericher.Norarethesemonitionsatallunneeded.Fornowadays,thewhale-fisheryfurnishesanasylumformanyromantic,melancholy,andabsentmindedyoungmen,disgustedwiththecarkingcaresofearth,andseekingsentimentintarandblubber.ChildeHaroldnotunfrequentlypercheshimselfuponthemast-headofsomelucklessdisappointedwhaleship,andinmoodyphraseejaculates:—

"Rollon,thoudeepanddarkblueocean,roll!

Tenthousandblubber-hunterssweepovertheeinvain."

Veryoftendothecaptainsofsuchshipstakethoseabsent-mindedyoungphilosopherstotask,upbraidingthemwithnotfeelingsufficient"interest"inthevoyage;half-hintingthattheyaresohopelesslylosttoallhonorableambition,asthatintheirsecretsoulstheywouldrathernotseewhalesthanotherwise.Butallinvain;thoseyoungPlatonistshaveanotionthattheirvisionisimperfect;theyareshort-sighted;whatuse,then,tostrainthevisualnerve?Theyhavelefttheiropera-glassesathome.

"Why,thoumonkey,"saidaharpooneertooneoftheselads,"we'vebeencruisingnowharduponthreeyears,andthouhastnotraisedawhaleyet.Whalesarescarceashen'steethwheneverthouartuphere."Perhapstheywere;orperhapstheremighthavebeenshoalsoftheminthefarhorizon;butlulledintosuchanopium-likelistlessnessofvacant,unconsciousreverieisthisabsent-mindedyouthbytheblendingcadenceofwaveswiththoughts,thatatlastheloseshisidentity;takesthemysticoceanathisfeetforthevisibleimageofthatdeep,blue,bottomlesssoul,pervadingmankindandnature;andeverystrange,half-seen,gliding,beautifulthingthateludeshim;everydimly-discovered,uprisingfinofsomeundiscernibleform,seemstohimtheembodimentofthoseelusivethoughtsthatonlypeoplethesoulbycontinuallyflittingthroughit.Inthisenchantedmood,thyspiritebbsawaytowhenceitcame;becomesdiffusedthroughtimeandspace;likeCranmer'ssprinkledPantheisticashes,formingatlastapartofeveryshoretheroundglobeover.

Thereisnolifeinthee,now,exceptthatrockinglifeimpartedbyagentlyrollingship;byher,borrowedfromthesea;bythesea,fromtheinscrutabletidesofGod.Butwhilethissleep,thisdreamisonye,moveyourfootorhandaninch;slipyourholdatall;andyouridentitycomesbackinhorror.OverDescartianvorticesyouhover.Andperhaps,atmid-day,inthefairestweather,withonehalf-throttledshriekyoudropthroughthattransparentairintothesummersea,nomoretoriseforever.Heeditwell,yePantheists!