The Shark Massacre

When in the Southern Fishery, a captured Sperm Whale, after long and weary toil, is brought alongside late at night, it is not, as a general thing at least, customary to proceed at once to the business of cutting him in. For that business is an exceedingly laborious one; is not very soon completed; and requires all hands to set about it. Therefore, the common usage is to take in all sail; lash the helm a’lee; and then send every one below to his hammock till daylight, with the reservation that, until that time, anchor-watches shall be kept; that is, two and two for an hour, each couple, the crew in rotation shall mount the deck to see that all goes well.

In the Southern Fishery, a captured Sperm Whale may be brought alongside the ship late at night, after long and weary labor. When that happens, the crew usually does not begin cutting it in at once. Cutting in the whale is extremely hard work, takes a long time, and requires all hands. So the usual practice is to take in all sails and lash the helm a’lee. Then everyone is sent below to sleep in their hammocks until daylight. But anchor watches are kept until then. The crew takes turns going on deck in pairs, each pair standing watch for an hour to see that all is well.

But sometimes, especially upon the Line in the Pacific, this plan will not answer at all; because such incalculable hosts of sharks gather round the moored carcase, that were he left so for six hours, say, on a stretch, little more than the skeleton would be visible by morning. In most other parts of the ocean, however, where these fish do not so largely abound, their wondrous voracity can be at times considerably diminished, by vigorously stirring them up with sharp whaling-spades, a procedure notwithstanding, which, in some instances, only seems to tickle them into still greater activity. But it was not thus in the present case with the Pequod’s sharks; though, to be sure, any man unaccustomed to such sights, to have looked over her side that night, would have almost thought the whole round sea was one huge cheese, and those sharks the maggots in it.

But sometimes this plan will not work at all, especially near the equator in the Pacific. Countless sharks gather around the moored carcass. If it were left there for six hours straight, for example, little more than the skeleton would be visible by morning. In most other parts of the ocean, however, sharks are not so plentiful. There, their astonishing appetite can sometimes be considerably reduced by vigorously prodding them with sharp whaling spades. In some cases, though, this only seems to tickle them into even greater activity. But that was not the case with the Pequod’s sharks. Even so, anyone unfamiliar with such sights would have been astonished to look over her side that night. They would almost have thought the whole round sea was one huge cheese, with the sharks as its maggots.

Nevertheless, upon Stubb setting the anchor-watch after his supper was concluded; and when, accordingly, Queequeg and a forecastle seaman came on deck, no small excitement was created among the sharks; for immediately suspending the cutting stages over the side, and lowering three lanterns, so that they cast long gleams of light over the turbid sea, these two mariners, darting their long whaling-spades, kept up an incessant murdering of the sharks,* by striking the keen steel deep into their skulls, seemingly their only vital part. But in the foamy confusion of their mixed and struggling hosts, the marksmen could not always hit their mark; and this brought about new revelations of the incredible ferocity of the foe. They viciously snapped, not only at each other’s disembowelments, but like flexible bows, bent round, and bit their own; till those entrails seemed swallowed over and over again by the same mouth, to be oppositely voided by the gaping wound. Nor was this all. It was unsafe to meddle with the corpses and ghosts of these creatures. A sort of generic or Pantheistic vitality seemed to lurk in their very joints and bones, after what might be called the individual life had departed. Killed and hoisted on deck for the sake of his skin, one of these sharks almost took poor Queequeg’s hand off, when he tried to shut down the dead lid of his murderous jaw.

Nevertheless, after supper, Stubb set the anchor watch. When Queequeg and a forecastle sailor came on deck, they caused quite a stir among the sharks. The two sailors immediately suspended cutting stages over the side and lowered three lanterns. The lanterns cast long beams of light over the murky sea. With their long whaling spades, the sailors kept killing the sharks,* driving the sharp steel deep into their skulls. The skulls seemed to be the sharks’ only vital part. But amid the foamy confusion of the struggling mass of sharks, the sailors could not always hit their mark. This revealed even more of the enemy’s incredible ferocity. The sharks viciously snapped at one another’s spilled entrails. They also bent around like flexible bows and bit their own. Their entrails seemed to be swallowed over and over by the same mouth, only to come out again through the gaping wound. Nor was that all. It was unsafe to handle the corpses and ghosts of these creatures. Even after what might be called their individual lives had ended, a kind of general or Pantheistic life seemed to linger in their joints and bones. One shark was killed and hoisted onto the deck for its skin. When Queequeg tried to close its dead, murderous jaw, it almost took his hand off.

*The whaling-spade used for cutting-in is made of the very best steel; is about the bigness of a man’s spread hand; and in general shape, corresponds to the garden implement after which it is named; only its sides are perfectly flat, and its upper end considerably narrower than the lower. This weapon is always kept as sharp as possible; and when being used is occasionally honed, just like a razor. In its socket, a stiff pole, from twenty to thirty feet long, is inserted for a handle.

*The whaling spade used for cutting-in is made of the finest steel. It is about the size of a man’s outspread hand. Its general shape resembles the garden tool it is named after. But its sides are perfectly flat, and its upper end is much narrower than its lower end. This weapon is always kept as sharp as possible. While in use, it is occasionally honed, just like a razor. A stiff pole, twenty to thirty feet long, is inserted into its socket to serve as a handle.

“Queequeg no care what god made him shark,” said the savage, agonizingly lifting his hand up and down; “wedder Fejee god or Nantucket god; but de god wat made shark must be one dam Ingin.”

“Queequeg doesn’t care what god made the shark,” said the savage, moving his hand up and down in agony. “Whether it was a Fejee god or a Nantucket god, the god who made the shark must be a damn Indian.”