Squid

Slowly wading through the meadows of brit, the Pequod still held on her way north-eastward towards the island of Java; a gentle air impelling her keel, so that in the surrounding serenity her three tall tapering masts mildly waved to that languid breeze, as three mild palms on a plain. And still, at wide intervals in the silvery night, the lonely, alluring jet would be seen.

Slowly making its way through the meadows of brit, the Pequod continued northeast toward the island of Java. A gentle breeze pushed the ship forward. In the surrounding calm, its three tall, tapering masts swayed gently in the lazy breeze, like three gentle palms on a plain. And still, at long intervals in the silvery night, the lonely, alluring spout would appear.

But one transparent blue morning, when a stillness almost preternatural spread over the sea, however unattended with any stagnant calm; when the long burnished sun-glade on the waters seemed a golden finger laid across them, enjoining some secrecy; when the slippered waves whispered together as they softly ran on; in this profound hush of the visible sphere a strange spectre was seen by Daggoo from the main-mast-head.

But one clear blue morning, an almost supernatural stillness spread over the sea, though the water was not stagnant or calm. A long, gleaming path of sunlight lay across the water like a golden finger, as if urging secrecy. The soft waves whispered together as they gently rolled on. In this deep hush over the visible world, Daggoo saw a strange specter from the top of the main mast.

In the distance, a great white mass lazily rose, and rising higher and higher, and disentangling itself from the azure, at last gleamed before our prow like a snow-slide, new slid from the hills. Thus glistening for a moment, as slowly it subsided, and sank. Then once more arose, and silently gleamed. It seemed not a whale; and yet is this Moby Dick? thought Daggoo. Again the phantom went down, but on re-appearing once more, with a stiletto-like cry that startled every man from his nod, the negro yelled out—“There! there again! there she breaches! right ahead! The White Whale, the White Whale!”

In the distance, a great white mass slowly rose, climbing higher and higher as it emerged from the blue. At last, it gleamed before our bow like an avalanche freshly fallen from the hills. It glistened for a moment, then slowly settled and sank. Then it rose again and gleamed silently. It did not seem to be a whale. Yet could it be Moby Dick, Daggoo wondered? Again the phantom sank. But when it reappeared, Daggoo gave a piercing cry that startled every man from his doze. He yelled, “There! there again! there she breaches! right ahead! The White Whale, the White Whale!”

Upon this, the seamen rushed to the yard-arms, as in swarming-time the bees rush to the boughs. Bare-headed in the sultry sun, Ahab stood on the bowsprit, and with one hand pushed far behind in readiness to wave his orders to the helmsman, cast his eager glance in the direction indicated aloft by the outstretched motionless arm of Daggoo.

At this, the sailors rushed to the yard-arms, like bees rushing to branches when they swarm. Bareheaded in the hot sun, Ahab stood on the bowsprit. He held one hand far behind him, ready to signal orders to the helmsman. He stared eagerly in the direction Daggoo pointed from above, his arm outstretched and motionless.

Whether the flitting attendance of the one still and solitary jet had gradually worked upon Ahab, so that he was now prepared to connect the ideas of mildness and repose with the first sight of the particular whale he pursued; however this was, or whether his eagerness betrayed him; whichever way it might have been, no sooner did he distinctly perceive the white mass, than with a quick intensity he instantly gave orders for lowering.

Perhaps the passing presence of that single, still, solitary spout had gradually affected Ahab. Perhaps it had prepared him to associate gentleness and calm with his first sight of the whale he pursued. Or perhaps his eagerness got the better of him. Whatever the reason, as soon as he clearly saw the white mass, he gave the order to lower the boats with sudden intensity.

The four boats were soon on the water; Ahab’s in advance, and all swiftly pulling towards their prey. Soon it went down, and while, with oars suspended, we were awaiting its reappearance, lo! in the same spot where it sank, once more it slowly rose. Almost forgetting for the moment all thoughts of Moby Dick, we now gazed at the most wondrous phenomenon which the secret seas have hitherto revealed to mankind. A vast pulpy mass, furlongs in length and breadth, of a glancing cream-colour, lay floating on the water, innumerable long arms radiating from its centre, and curling and twisting like a nest of anacondas, as if blindly to clutch at any hapless object within reach. No perceptible face or front did it have; no conceivable token of either sensation or instinct; but undulated there on the billows, an unearthly, formless, chance-like apparition of life.

The four boats were soon on the water, with Ahab’s boat in front. All four pulled swiftly toward their prey. Soon it went down. We held our oars still and waited for it to reappear. Then, in the very spot where it had sunk, it slowly rose again. Almost forgetting Moby Dick for the moment, we gazed at the most wondrous sight the hidden seas had ever revealed to humanity. A vast, pulpy mass floated on the water. It was furlongs long and wide, and its cream-colored surface gleamed. Countless long arms spread from its center, curling and twisting like a nest of anacondas. They seemed to reach blindly for any unlucky object within their grasp. The mass had no visible face or front, and no imaginable sign of feeling or instinct. It simply rose and fell on the waves, an unearthly, shapeless, seemingly random vision of life.

As with a low sucking sound it slowly disappeared again, Starbuck still gazing at the agitated waters where it had sunk, with a wild voice exclaimed—“Almost rather had I seen Moby Dick and fought him, than to have seen thee, thou white ghost!”

As it slowly disappeared again with a low sucking sound, Starbuck kept staring at the churning water where it had sunk. In a wild voice, he exclaimed, “I would almost rather have seen Moby Dick and fought him than seen you, you white ghost!”

“What was it, Sir?” said Flask.

“What was it, sir?” said Flask.

“The great live squid, which, they say, few whale-ships ever beheld, and returned to their ports to tell of it.”

“The great live squid, which, they say, few whaling ships have seen and returned to port to tell about.”

But Ahab said nothing; turning his boat, he sailed back to the vessel; the rest as silently following.

But Ahab said nothing. He turned his boat and sailed back to the ship. The others followed just as silently.

Whatever superstitions the sperm whalemen in general have connected with the sight of this object, certain it is, that a glimpse of it being so very unusual, that circumstance has gone far to invest it with portentousness. So rarely is it beheld, that though one and all of them declare it to be the largest animated thing in the ocean, yet very few of them have any but the most vague ideas concerning its true nature and form; notwithstanding, they believe it to furnish to the sperm whale his only food. For though other species of whales find their food above water, and may be seen by man in the act of feeding, the spermaceti whale obtains his whole food in unknown zones below the surface; and only by inference is it that any one can tell of what, precisely, that food consists. At times, when closely pursued, he will disgorge what are supposed to be the detached arms of the squid; some of them thus exhibited exceeding twenty and thirty feet in length. They fancy that the monster to which these arms belonged ordinarily clings by them to the bed of the ocean; and that the sperm whale, unlike other species, is supplied with teeth in order to attack and tear it.

Whatever superstitions sperm whalers generally attach to the sight of this object, one thing is certain. A glimpse of it is so unusual that its rarity has made it seem like an omen. It is seen so rarely that very few sperm whalers have more than a vague idea of its true nature and form. Yet every one of them says it is the largest living thing in the ocean. They also believe it is the sperm whale’s only food. Other kinds of whales find their food above water, where people may see them feeding. But the sperm whale gets all its food in unknown depths below the surface. Only by inference can anyone say exactly what that food consists of. At times, when closely pursued, the sperm whale will disgorge what are thought to be detached squid arms. Some of these arms are more than twenty or thirty feet long. The whalers imagine that the monster these arms belonged to usually clings to the ocean floor with them. They also believe the sperm whale, unlike other whales, has teeth so it can attack and tear the monster.

There seems some ground to imagine that the great Kraken of Bishop Pontoppodan may ultimately resolve itself into Squid. The manner in which the Bishop describes it, as alternately rising and sinking, with some other particulars he narrates, in all this the two correspond. But much abatement is necessary with respect to the incredible bulk he assigns it.

There is some reason to think that Bishop Pontoppodan’s great Kraken may turn out to be a squid. The Bishop describes the Kraken as rising and sinking alternately. In this and other details he relates, the Kraken and the squid match. But the incredible size he gives the Kraken must be greatly reduced.

By some naturalists who have vaguely heard rumors of the mysterious creature, here spoken of, it is included among the class of cuttle-fish, to which, indeed, in certain external respects it would seem to belong, but only as the Anak of the tribe.

Some naturalists who have only vaguely heard rumors of the mysterious creature discussed here classify it as a cuttlefish. In some outward respects, the creature does seem to belong among cuttlefish, but only as the Anak, or giant, of the tribe.