CHAPTER 1

CALL ME ISHMAEL. I AM A SAILOR, AND MY HAPPIEST DAYS sign above the door read: The Spouter-Inn; the owner's name, Peter
HAVE been spent at sea. I have had many exciting adventures in the Coffin, was painted in white underneath.
´watery part of the world´, as I like to call it, but none one as thrilling
and terrifying as the search for Moby Dick. Yes, I was a part of the I walked into the inn and found it full of sailors who were chatting
attempt to kill the cunning white whale and this is my story… merrily. After a brief search, I located the landlord and told him I
wished to rent a room.
I left Manhattan and arrived in New Bedford, Massachusetts, on a
Saturday evening in December, 1851. M y plan was to catch a ferry "No rooms left, I´m afraid; said Coffin. “But there is one bed left...
from New Bedford to Nantucket so that I could join the crew of a would you mind sharing a room with a harpooner?”
Nantucket whaling ship. The Nantucket whaling business was a
I did mind, in fact, I minded very much. But the landlord insisted that
growing industry at that time, with hundreds of ships leaving
the harpooner was a decent fellow, and managed to persuade me that
American shores each year to hunt and kill sperm whales for their oil.
sharing a room with a perfect stranger was a much better option than
The oil, which was extracted from the whale's fat, or blubber, was used
'pending the night out in the cold.
for lighting oil lamps and making candles, and was considered
particularly valuable. I was fascinated by the beautiful and greatness of "All right.” I said. “I suppose I have no choice."
whales; they lived in wild and distant seas, and I knew that whale-
hunting would provide me with the opportunity to explore exotic, far- ''Good." said Coffin. "Take a seat in the dining room and I´ll bring you
away y places. some dinner."

Unfortunately, I missed the ferry to Nantucket and discovered, to my

disappointment, that the next ferry was scheduled to leave on Monday.
With only a few cents in my pocket, I was forced to search for some
very cheap accommodation. I made my way through the dark, bitterly
cold streets of New Bedford, gazing into the candlelit windows of
various inns, until I found one that looked affordable. The swinging
I made my way to 1he dining room and sat down at the table with four
or five other sailors. Without delay, Coffin brought t us a meal
consisting of very generous portions of meat, potatoes and dumpling.
The food was absolutely delicious and I quickly devoured every last
bite.
"Say, Mr Coffin," I said as the landlord cleared away my plate, "is the
harpooner here?
Coffin chuckled. "No, he won't be back till much later. He's out selling
his head."
"His head?" I exclaimed. What on earth do you mean?"
“The harpooner has just returned from New Zealand, where he
collected some human heads," the landlord explained. "He's managed
to sell all of them, except one. He has to sell it tonight; it wouldn't be
right t to try to sell a human n head on Sunday morning when people
are going to church..."
I could hardly believe my ears. "Mr Coffin, are you mad?" I shouted.
"Are you really planning to put me in a room with some savage who´s
out selling human heads?"
Coffin grinned. "Calm down, young man. The heads are made of
wax... I thin k. I assure you 1hat the harpooner poses no threat to you.
Anyway, it’s almost midnight and I doubt he'll be returning to the inn
tonight. Let me show you to your room; I 'm sure you'd like to get
some sleep."
Reluctantly, I followed the landlord up the staircase to a small room at
the end of a narrow passageway. The room contained a table, chair and
two beds. I noticed a bag of clothing on the floor, which I assumed
belonged to my room-mate. The landlord wished me good night and I
put on my nightwear and went to sleep.
I was awakened an hour or so later by the sound of the door opening.
The harpooner had returned. I decided to remain perfectly still and not
say a word until my room-mate noticed me. The harpooner was a huge
man, holding a candle in one hand and a scarily lifelike head in the
other. I watched him as he placed the candle on the floor and opened a
large canvas bag from which he removed an axe and a wallet. Then, he
put the head in the bag and closed it. The light from the candle was
weak and I could only just see his face: his skin appeared to be
yellowish-purple in color and his cheeks were
Covered in large black squares which I assumed were tattoos. He was
bald except for few strands of hair and which were twisted up on his
forehead.
I had never seen a more terrifying-looking man in my life and had he
not been standing between me and the door, I would have run out of
there as fast as my legs could carry me. The harpooner changed into
his nightwear, blew out the candle and climbed into his bed.
My heart was beating so loudly, I could hear it beating in my ears. I
decided I couldn´t share a room with a mad man after all, and I jumped
out of bed and ran to the door. Of course, it was pitch black in the
room, and I tripped over the harpooner's bag.
The harpooner sat up in surprise. “Who's there?" he shouted.
Please don't hurt me!" I cried. "Landlord! M r Coffin! Someone save
me, please!"
The landlord heard my screams and burst through the door a moment
later, dressed in a nightgown and carrying a lamp.
"Don't be afraid," said the landlord, as he helped me to my feet.
"Quecqueg won't harm a hair on your head."
"Are you sure about that?" I said.
The landlord laughed. "Queequeg, young Ishmael here will be sharing
your room with you tonight, is that right?"
Quecqueg was silent for a moment. "That's fine," he grunted. "Good,"
said the landlord. "I´ll see you both in the morning.
Good night." With that, the landlord walked out of the room and
closed the door.
"Don't worry, young man, I won't hurt you, “said Queequeg.
I nodded and climbed back into my bed. Feeling strangely reassured, I
fell asleep almost immediately.

...
The next morning, Queequeg and I woke up early and made our way
to the dining room. I had the opportunity to meet some of the other
guests at the inn; they were all whalers: carpenters, blacksmiths and
harpooners. Some had only recently returned from a voyage; others
were making plans to leave again. We enjoyed a breakfast of coffee
and hot rolls, while Queequeg dined on large piece of steak
which looked barely cooked. managed to persuade the angry captain to keep him on board and teach
him the business of whaling. In no time at all, Queequeg became an
Once we´d eaten, Queequeg lit his pipe and made his way to the expert harpooner, known for his skill and accuracy.
lounge room, and I decided to go for a stroll. I returned to the inn after "I want to see more of the world," he said. "That's why I'm here.
lunch and found the harpooner sitting in front of the fireplace, I want to go on a whaling trip."
polishing a small wooden figure. Not wanting to spend the rest of the
day by myself, I pulled up a chair and sat down beside him. "Really?" I asked with delight. "I am also going to Nantucket to find a
"Are we going to share a room again tonight?" asked Queequeg, whaling ship."
without looking up.
"Yes, “I said. "We'll go together," said Queequeg and smiled broadly. “After all, we
"In that case, we are brothers," he said, extending a hand to shake are brothers now."
mine. After supper, we returned to our room and Queequeg gave me; thirty
I smiled and shook his hand. We spent the rest of the day talking and silver dollars, half his fortune. Of course, I told him couldn’t´ take it
getting to know one another better. Queequeg told me that he was a but he wouldn't listen to me. In his culture, he said, it was customary to
native of the South Pacific island of Rokovoko. His father had been the share one's belongings with one's family members.
king of his tribe and Queequeg was next in line to take his place. But
I felt extremely touched by Queequeg's kindness and generosity; it felt
young Queequeg wanted adventure, so, one day, he hid on board a
good to make a new friend.
whaling ship that had anchored briefly at his island. Queequeg
CHAPTER 2
ON MONDAY MORN ING, QUEEQUEG AN D I CAUCHT THE
FIRST ferry to Nantucket. We arrived in the early evening, and rented
a room at an inn called The Try Pots. After a hearty fish stew supper,
we discussed our plan for the next day.
“Yojo says you have to choose a ship for our voyage,” Queequeg
informed me. He said he had spoken with his idol, Yojo -the small
wooden figure he'd been polishing the day before - and that the statue
had insisted that I be the one to choose the whaling ship on which we
were to travel.
Of course, I did not
wish to make this important decision alone, and I tried to convince
Queequeg that the idol was wrong, but my new-found friend wouldn't
listen to anything. "But,
Queequeg, it's my first time on a whaling ship,” I protested. "I
know nothing about whaling boats."
"Yojo is always right," declared my friend. "You will choose the right
ship.
“So, the next morning, I walked to the harbour alone, while Queequeg
and Yojo stayed at the inn. After a lot of searching, I discovered that
there were three whaling ships that were about to leave for long
voyages: the Devil-dam, the Tit-bit, and the Pequod. I inspected all
three, and decided that the Pequod would be the most suitable.
The ship was about fifty years old and made from a dark brown wood
which had faded considerably as a result of years spent under the harsh
sun and fierce seas. The sides of the ship were lined with two rows of
pointy whale teeth and the tiller had been made out of the jawbone of a
whale. At first glance, the ship reminded me of an Ethiopia n emperor
wearing a necklace of polished ivory.
"Excuse me, “I said, addressing myself to an elderly gentleman n who
was sitting under a covering on the deck. "Are you the captain?"
"Who wants to know?" said the old man.
"My name is Ishmael," l replied. "I want to sign up for the next
voyage."
"Do you know anything about whaling?" asked the man.
“Uh, no sir,” I confessed. “But I´m eager to learn. You see, sir, I want
to see the world.”
The old man sighed. "The whaling business isn't a game, young man.
It's to be taken very seriously. And if you don't believe me, ask
Captain Ahab."
“Who´s Captain Ahab?”
“The captain of the ship.”
“Oh,” I said. “But I thought you were the captain of this ship, sir.”
"No," said the man. "My name is Peleg. I am the co-owner of the
Pequod; the other owner's name is Bildad. It is our responsibility to
hire the crew and make sure that the ship is stocked with all the
necessary supplies... Anyway, as I was saying, I suggest you take a
look at Captain Ahab before you commit yourself to this voyage; you
might think twice about going whaling when you see that the captain
in has only one leg..."
"What do you mean, sir?" I exclaimed. "Did the captain lose his leg to
a whale?"
"He didn’t just lose his leg,” said Peleg, "the leg was crunched up,
chewed up and devoured by the biggest and most terrifying whale
you´ve ever seen! That whale was a monster!" The old man threw his
hands up in the air to emphasize the size of the whale, and I took a
cautious step back. "Now, young man," Peleg continued, looking at
me with his eyes narrowing, "are you sure you still want to go
whaling?"
Though Peleg's story was a little alarming, I was more determined than
ever to join the crew of the Pequod. "Yes, sir, “I said. "I still want to
go."
The old man raised a curious eyebrow. “Fine, then follow me, “he
said. Peleg led me to a cabin where I was introduced to his colleague,
Bildad. It took just a few minutes to negotiate my salary and sign the
necessary paperwork. I told the men that I would return the next day
with a very skilled harpooner who would be a great asset to the crew.
As Peleg showed me out of the cabin, I asked him to tell me more
about Captain Ahab. "He's a good man, about sixty years old;
intelligent and well-educated," said Peleg. "He's very brave
and, some would say, quite mysterious. He is an excellent sailor and
certainly the best harpooner I´ve ever seen. But he can be moody and
bad-tempered; which is understandable, given the suffering he’s
endured. I doubt you'll meet him before the ship sets sail; he hasn't
been feeling too well and is at home, resting. I
thanked the man for his time and made my way back to the inn. I was
quite curious to meet his Captain Ahab; I found his story to be both
sad and exciting. I could hardly wait to tell Queequeg my news.

….
The next day, Queequeg and I returned to the Pequod, where the
harpooner's salary was determined and the relevant papers were
signed. We left the ship in a jolly mood, talking excitedly about the
journey that lay ahead, when we suddenly ran into a strange man. He
was dressed in a faded jacket and torn trousers, and his face was
marked with smallpox scars. Are you travelling on that ship?" he
asked, waving a thick finger at the Pequod.
"Yes," I answered. Why?"
“Have you met the captain yet?”
“No,” 1 replied.
Ahab is a dangerous man, a dangerous man, I tell you. He's obsessed
and his obsession has driven him mad! You shouldn't travel on his
ship...”
"Obsessed?" I repeated. "With what?"
"The whale! The whale!"shouted the man.
Queequeg and I exchanged glances. "Look here, sir," I said, "I don't
know what you're talking about and, frankly, I don't care either. Please
step aside and let us be on our way."
The man shook his head. “Don't say I didn't warn you!” he shouted
after us.
Queequeg and I walked on, and the strange man was quickly forgotten.
The Pequod was scheduled to set sail on Christmas Day. Queequeg
and I woke up at 6 o' clock that morning and rapidly made our way to
the harbour. It was still dark, and the ship was almost hidden from
View by streaks of grey fog. As we approached the Pequod,I thought I
saw five dark figures gathered on the deck. I assumed that they were
sailors, but when we boarded the ship, we saw there was no one
around except for an old man who was sound asleep.
By sunrise, the Pequod was noisy with crew members carrying boxes
and unpacking their things. We were later informed that Capitan Ahab
had boarded the hip the night before and that he planned to remain in
his cabin. Finally, the anchor was pulled up, and the Pequod set off
across the icy ocean.

CHAPER 3
BY THE END OF THE FIRST WEEK AT SEA, I HAVE MET
MOST of the member of my crew, including the mates. The mates are
the men responsible for captaining the whaleboats. Which are lowered
into the sea once a whale has been sighted. Each whaleboat crew
consists of a mate, a harpooner and four oarsmen.
The chief mate of the Pequod was a tall, thin, thirty-year-old man from
Nantucket name Starbuck. He was courageous and practical, and was
highly respected by the crew. Strarbuck chose Queequeg to be his
harpooner. The second mate was a friendly, easygoing man named
Stubb. When he wasn´t catching whales, Stubb spent most of his time
puffing on his pipe. His harpooner was an Indian named Tashtego,
who had long, dark hair, high cheekbones, and large eyes. The third
mate was a short and stout man named Flask. His harpooner was
Dagoo, and extremely tall African who wore gold hoop earrings.
Several days passed before Captain Ahab finally made his appearance
on the quarterdeck, a section of the ship´s upper deck. I was so
surprised to see him that I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn´t
dreaming. Ahab was a tall, impressive- looking man, and as he stood
motionless on the quarterdeck, surveying his sailors below, he
reminded me of a solid bronze statue. His hair was streaked with grey,
and I noticed a lightning-shaped scar running down the side of his face
and neck. Whether he´d been born with that scar, or it
Was a result of an accident, no one knew for sure. Probably the most
striking thing abo t Ahab's appearance was his false leg, which had
been carved out of whalebone. A small hole had been made in the
quarterdeck which provided the captain with a place to secure his false
leg, thus preventing him from falling over in stormy weather.
Though Ahab's face was set in an empty stare, the deep sorrow in his
eyes was obvious. I was suddenly filled with tremendous admiration
for him: this was a man who had experienced unimaginable suffering,
and yet was detem1ined to continue working as a ship's captain. I felt
privileged to be serving under such a brave man.
In the days that followed, I spent most of my time sitting in the crow's
nest at the top of the main mast, looking for whales. I must admit that I
wasn't exactly the right man for that particular job; the warmth of the
sun and the gentle lapping of the waves almost put me to sleep on
more than one occasion.
There was very little activity on the ship until, one morning, Ahab
ordered the entire crew to assemble on deck. This was a most unusual
order and we immediately did as we were told. We arranged ourselves
into a neat row, and Ahab walked past us slowly, carefully examining
each crew member as he went. Once he'd completed his inspection, he
said: "What do you do when you see a whale, men?"
"Call out!" shouted the crew in unison.
"Good!" cried Ahab. "And what do you do next, men?"
"Lower the boats and chase after him!"
Ahab smiled. He was clearly impressed with his crew's enthusiasm.
The captain then reached into his pocket and held u p a small, shining
coin. "Do you see this, men?" he asked. "This is a doubloon, a Spanish
gold coin. Starbuck, please get me a hammer."
When Starbuck returned with the hammer, he handed it to Ahab who
proceeded to nail the coin to the mast. "Listen carefully, men," said the
captain. "Whoever sees the white whale, with its wrinkled brow and
crooked jaw; whoever sees him first, will have this coin as a reward!"
The crew cheered, some men even threw their hats in the air, but the
three harpooners, Tashtego, Queequeg and Daggoo, remained silent.
The captain's description of the whale seemed to trigger distant
memories for them.
“Sir,” said Tashtego,"are you talking about the whale you call Moby
Dick?"
“I am," said the captain.
"The strong white whale that moves quickly and escapes all
whaleboats? saked Daggoo.
“Yes, yes” said the captain.
"The whale that has three harpoons sticking out of him; the one that
people say cannot be killed?" asked Queequeg.
“Yes, yes” said the captain impatiently. “The whale you are all
describing is Moby Dick.
“Captain Ahab,” said Starbuck, “I too heard of Moby Dick ...
was he not the whale who took off your leg?"
The captain turned to look at Starbuck, his eyes blazing with anger.
“Aye! Starbuck,” he hissed, "Moby Dick is the whale who took my
leg...” Ahab beat his false leg on the deck and waved his fist in the air.
"Moby Dick took my leg" he roared. "And I´ll chase him to the ends of
the earth; I´ll hum him until he sprays black blood and dies! This is
why you are all on this ship, to destroy Moby Dick!
What do you say, men, can I count on you to help me?"
“Aye,aye!” shouted the crew. "The white whale will die!"
Abab smiled. “Thank you, my boys,” he said. "You´11 not regret
this...Is something wrong, Starbuck? You look troubled."
Starbuck cleared his throat. "Well, sir," he began, "l have no problem
killing whales, it is after all our business. But I carne here to hunt
whales for oil, not for revenge. It makes no sense to me to pursue a
dumb animal.
“That dumb animal as you put it, ruined my life,” said the captain.
“P1ease, Starbuck," Continued Ahab, his tone softening, "the rest of
the crew is with me on this and I'd appreciate your support too. Of
course, we will kill other whales we may encounter, I understand that
my men are here to earn a living...but Moby Dick will remain our
priority.
Starbuck was silent for a moment. "How do you plan to track the
whale down?"
"I have kept records of all the Moby Dick sightings that have been
reported recently,” said Ahab. “I’ve been studying the whale for years;
I know his habits and where he hunts for his food. He seems to
appear in the same places at the same time each year, so, with a little
luck, we might spot him du ring the course of our journey."
The first mate sighed. "God help us all," he muttered.
A night of celebration followed the captain's announcement. We ate
and danced and listened to stories about Moby Dick until the early
hours of the morning. In the days that followed I learned more about
how Ahab lost his leg to the whale: during that horrible battle, the
whale destroyed Ahab's whaleboats by crashing into them with his
broad, flat forehead, and a number of sailors drowned.
In a fit of rage, Ahab, who was in his own whaleboat, attempted to stab
the whale with a knife, but the creature burst from the water and tore
off the captain's leg with his scissor-sharp teeth. Far from land and
medical assistance, the captain spent many days and nights lying in his
hammock in terrible pain. It was during that time of suffering that he
made up his mind to kill the whale. I felt great sympathy for this
courageous man who had been through so much, and decided that I
would do what I could to help him.
CHAPTER 4
TEHE INITIAL PHRASE OF FAT REMOVAL IS CUTTING-IN
AND this took place in the morning after the whale had been killed.
First, the heavy chains surrounding the whale were tightened and the
animal was lifted out of the water. Then, Starbuck and Stubb use long
spades to cut a hole in the body, at a point near one of the side-fins, so
that a huge hook could be inserted in the animal´s flesh.
Attached to the hook was a piece of rope which was tossed over the
main mast. Using all their strength, the entire crew pulled on the free
end to the rope, until de first strip of bubbler-room. Here the blubber
had been successfully removed. The whale´s body was then made to
roll over several times so that the remaining blubber could be peel off,
in much the same way that one would peel the skin of an orange.
The blubber was then cut into strips which were passed below deck
through a trapdoor into a room call the blubber-room. Here, the
blubber was boiled in large iron pots called try pots, so that the oil
could be extracted. Finally the oil was poured into wooden barrels and
the lids were sealed with wax.
Once all the blubber has been removed from a sperm whale, the
sailors behead the creature and allow the carcass to float away. The
head remains chained to the side of the ship because it contains
spermaceti, a valuable wax-like substance used to make candles and
lotions. Large sperm whales' heads often contain hundreds of liters of
spermaceti, enough to make the crew of any whaling ship very rich
indeed. Extracting the spermaceti from the whale's head was no easy
task, and Starbuck chose Tashtego to carry out this challenging task. I
watched in awe as the brave harpooner jumped onto the whale's
slippery head and began cutting a hole around the spout. Once the hole
was large enough, Tashtego used a long spear to cut a hole in the
whale's head until he found the area that held the precious spermaceti.
After that, a bucket was passed along a rope to the harpooner who
lowered it into the whale's head and collected the white, frothy liquid.
Tashtego spent at least two hours bent over the head, filling buckets
with spermaceti. Al around the eightieth or ninetieth bucket, the
harpooner stood up, and to the horror of those watching, slipped and
fell into the red pulp of the whale's head.
Panic broke out on deck, but the worst was yet to come: Tashtego's
efforts to climb out of his prison caused the head to sway and, with a
sudden loud crack, the chains broke away from the masts. The ship
nearly overturned and many sailors, including me, were knocked off
their feet. I held onto the railing and pulled myself up, in rime to see
the whale's head disappear under the water.
"Tashtego!" I yelled.
"Man overboard! “Cried Daggoo.
''I´ll get him!" shouted Queequeg. Clutching a sword in his hand, the
harpooner rushed to the quarterdeck and dived off. With a mighty
splash, my courageous friend Queequeg vanished into the dark blue
water. Minutes passed, but there was no sign of either harpooner. Just
as I began to fear the worst, Queequeg burst out of the water, pulling
Tashtego with him. The crew applauded wildly, and a small boat was
lowered to bring the pair back on board.
"How did you manage to save him?" l asked my friend later.
"It was easy," replied Queequeg, "I simply cut a hole in the whale's
head and pulled Tashtego out. Remember this lesson, Ishmael: you can
achieve just about anything if you have enough faith and courage."
I nodded and smiled.
CHAPTER 5 “Ship ahoy!” I shouted to my fellow sailors.
My announcement caused excitement on deck; life at sea can be very
IN THE TWO WEEKS THAT FOLLOWED, WE WERE lonely and sailors are always happy to chat with crews of other ships.
FOTUNATE enough to kill two more whales. But, as we cross the But as the ship drew nearer, accompanied by a group of hungry
Indian Ocean, through the straits of Sunda, and past the islands of Java vultures circling overhead, we realize that it was the source of the
and Sumatra, whale sighting became less frequent. Though we came horrible smell. Chained to the ship on one side, was a whale that,
across a school of whales at one point we failed to capture even one. according to Queequeg had died of natural causes. “Only a whale
One sunny afternoon, as Qurequcg and I sat on the deck, weaving a that´s been dead in the water for a few days can give off such a stink,”
mat to pass the lime, we noticed a rather foul smell in the air. explained the harpooner.
"What is that terrible odour?" I said, wrinkling my nose in disgust. There was a second whale attached to the other side of the ship, but
"It, smells like something dead,” answered the harpooner, raising his this one looked dry and wrinkled. I remembered reading once that
head to scan the ocean. “A dead whale, maybe. Though I can't see one whales that have died of stomach problems usually shrivel up, and are
floating anywhere near us. unlikely to contain much oil.
The ship dropped anchor and short distance from us, and we noticed a
I stood up and, shielding my eyes from the sun's blinding light, French flag flying from the mast. The name Bouton de Rose was
examined the shimmering blue water that surrounded us. Suddenly, a painted on the side of the ship; it meant “rosebud”.
dark spot appeared on the horizon. It was a ship. “It doesn´t smell much like a rosebud,” I whispered to Queequeg.
Just then, Stubb, who had been watching the ship with a peculiar smile
on his face, turned to us and said: "Men, I need some of you to row out
that ship with me. Those whales could be very useful to us.”
“Useful?” exclaimed Quecqueg. "I doubt that, Mr Stubb. There isn't
enough oil in either of those whales to make even one candle.” “I'm
well aware of that, Queequeg,” said Stubb."I'm not interested in oil;
I´m interested in other riches ...”
I was quite captivated by Stubb's comment and, despite the horrible
smell, decided to join him on his mission. Less than ten minutes later,
our whaleboat was going up and down alongside the Bouton de Rose.
"Hello there!" shou1ed Stubb. "Do any of you Rosebud speak
English?”
One of the crew members stepped forward and looked at us curiously.
“I do,” he said. "I'm the first mate, and the only one on board who
speaks English."
“Excellent,” said Stubb. “I hope you don't mind me telling you your
business, sir, but those whales of yours won't bring in much oil.”
"I know that." said the man with a heavy sigh, "but my captain doesn't.
We found these whales floating in the water, and he insisted that we
take them with us. He doesn't know much about whaling; if you ask
me, he’s a fool.”
Stubb laughed. "Well then, perhaps we could help you get rid of the
whales he said. “I´ll come on board and have a little chat with your
captain; would you mind translating?" asked Stubb.
The man smiled. "Not at all! I´d be grateful if you could talk some
sense into him.
The first mate lowered a rope ladder for Stubb to climb onto the ship.
Then, he tapped lightly on the door of a nearby cabin. The door
opened, and a small, delicate-looking man with a very large moustache
emerged. He was wearing a fancy red velvet jacket with large gold
buttons that glinted in the sun.
The first mate introduced Stubb to the captain and then started
translating the conversation.
Tell him, began Stubb, that these two whales could cause his entire
crew to become ill and die. The gases released by dead whales are
poisonous and cause a fever for which there is no cure.
Explain to your captain that he has no choice but to free both
whales immediatdy."
Of course, none of what Stubb was saying was true, and the first mate
knew that he was lying. The captain, however, didn't realise that this
was a trick and, as he listened to his first mate translate Stubb´s words,
a look of horror began to appear on his face.
The captain spoke quickly in French: "lf that is the case, we must let
be whales go immediately!"
Stubb nodded in agreement. “A wise move, sir. We could help you by
dragging the smaller whale away from your boat if you like.” “Yes,
yes, thank you.” said the captain. “Thank you for your help, my good
friend. You've saved the lives of my crew.” Stubb grinned. "Glad to be
of service!" he said.
The two men shook hands and Stubb was accompanied back to this
boat by the first mate. Then, the crew of the Bouton de Rose released
the whale carcasses into the ocean. As promised Stubb threw out a
piece of rope and pretended to drag the smaller whale away.
Once the Bouton de Rose had disappeared into the distance, Stubb
ordered us to row as close to the whale as possible.
I watched in amazement as Stubb picked up the boat-spade and began
slicing into the whale at a point just behind the side-fin. He dug around
inside the whale, much like a man digging for gold. The smell became
progressively stronger and I feared that I might faint; I was about to
beg Stubb to return to the ship, when he suddenly yelled: “I found it! I
found it!''
The second mate placed his hands in the cavity and removed a spongy
grey substance from the whale's stomach. Immediately, the horrible
smell was replaced by a fragrance that reminded me of a garden of
sweat-smelling roses.
"What is that?" I asked.
"It's ambergris, my boy," answered Stubb, his eyes sparkling.
"Chemists use it to make the world's finest perfumes and its worth of
fortune. Those Frenchmen had no idea that they were carrying buried
treasure!”
Stubb continued to greedily collect handfuls of ambergris while he
explained that this valuable substance could only be found intestines of
sick sperm whales. We would probably have spent
another hour there, in the middle of the ocean, collecting pieces of
ambergris, had Ahab not appeared on deck and ordered Stubb to return
to the ship immediately.
“You were wasting precious time, Stubb!" he cried. "Come back at
once!"
“Alright.” said Stubb with a frown.
And so, we headed back to the Pequod to continue our pursuit of the
whale Moby Dick.

CHAPTER 6

SORTLY AFTER OUR MEETING WITH THE BUTON DE ROSE

crossed paths with the Samel Enderby an English ship from London.
As soon as the ship was close enough, Ahab placed the hands around
his mouth and shouted: “Ahoy there!” Have you seen the white
whale?"
He addressed the question to captain of the ship, a strong red-
cheeked man of about sixty years of age, who was dressed with blue
coat.
"Do you see this?" said the man, holding up his right arm, the arm
looked as if it had been carved out of whalebone. "This is what that
whale did to me."
Ahab´s eyes widened in surprise. “The whale did that to you?
The man nodded solemnly.
"He took my leg." said Ahab, pointing to his false leg.
The captain gave Ahab a sympathetic look. "Then we are both
victims of the whale,” he said.
"Tell me what happened to you." urged Ahab.
"Well." The captain began, "it happed a few years ago in the first
journey along the equator. We had spotted about four whales, and
had lowered the whaleboats to pursue them. I was harpoon one of the
whales, when an enormous whale, with wrinkled brow and milky-
white head and hump emerged from the water. He was the grandest
whale I´ve ever seen, and I decided to chase it. Unfortunately, the
whale was clever than I had expected.
he disappeared underwater and a second later, his huge tail came
crashing down on our boat, split1ing it in two. I was thrown into the
sea and one of the spears went through my arm. The wound was
severe, and the doctor on board 1he ship feared that I would bleed to
death. He had no choice but to remove my arm."
And have you seen the whale since?" asked Ahab.
"Yes, twice," replied the captain. "The last lime was a couple of weeks
ago.”
Ahab eyes brightened. "Where? Where did you see him?"
The captain thought for a moment. "He was heading east; I think
...You aren't planning to go after him, are you?"
“That is exactly what I am planning,” said Ahab.
The captain frowned. “I suggest that you stay far away from that
whale, no good can come from chasing Moby Dick, as you well
know.” "I will hunt that whale for the rest of my days, if necessary,"
said Ahab. "He is like a magnet to me, I cannot resist pursuing him and
I will not rest until he is dead ...thank you for the information,
Captain."
Half an hour later, we had left the Samuel Enderby behind us, and
were moving swiftly in an easterly direction.

….
The next day, we made an unfortunate discovery: some of the barrels
containing the whale oil had started to leak. We had no choice but to
stop sailing for a couple of days so that we could repair the barrels, and
Starbuck volunteered to tell the captain the news. Initially, Ahab
refused to stop the journey, but, realizing that he could lose his men's
trust, as well as the respect of the first mate, he finally agreed to drop
anchor. The reason we had to stop sailing was because the barrels had
to be brought up on deck to be repaired, and the extra weight could
have caused the ship to become unbalanced and turn over.
At least one hundred barrels were removed from the hold over the next
couple of days. Because he was one of the strongest men on board,
Queequeg was given the task of passing the barrels to the other sailors
on deck. He spent many hours walking barefoot in the dark, damp
hold, and, as a result, ended up with a fever. For several days,
Quecqueg lay in a hammock, unable to eat or sleep. He
Became frighteningly thin; his eyes bulged out of their sockets and his
cheekbones poked through his checks.
One day, Queequeg made a very alarming request. "When somebody
dies," he told me, "they put him in a long wooden box like a canoe."
He meant a coffin, of course.
"On my island, when people die, they put them in a canoe and let it
float out to sea. Please, tell the carpenter to make one of those canoes
for me." He was convinced that he was dose to death.
The rest of the crew protested; they believed that having a coffin on
board would bring bad luck, but the carpenter felt obliged to do what
had been asked of him, and he promptly took Queequeg's
measurements.
When the coffin was ready, the carpenter brought it to Queequeg. The
frail harpooner examined it from his hammock and nodded his
approval.
"Now Ishmael, please bring me my harpoon and place it next to me.
And bring a box of biscuits and a bottle of water," he asked. I did as I
was told, though I had no idea what he intended to do with those items.
With what little strength he had left, Queequeg lifted himself out of the
hammock and lay down in the coffin. He crossed his arms on his chest,
and then asked me to do one more thing. "Bring Yojo," he said.
Reluctantly, I did what was asked of me.
Queequeg fell asleep almost immediately, and I stayed nearby to
comfort him and pray for him. But the harpooner did not need my
comfort, or my prayers. Within a couple of days, my friend had made a
miraculous recovery; the colour returned to his cheeks and his eyes
sparkled as before.
"I cannot die yet, I still have much to do," he told me, as he climbed
out of his coffin.
I stared at the harpooner in astonishment. "Do you really believe that a
person can choose whether he will live or die?" I asked.
“If a man has made up his mind to live, illness cannot take him,” said
Queequeg.
I shook my head in disbelief and followed my friend below deck,
where he proceeded to spend the afternoon sharpening his harpoon.
And as for the coffin, it didn't go to waste; my friend used it as a sea
chest to keep his things in.
The captain of the Bacherlor shrugged and we watched the ship glide
across the water which shone in the afternoon sun. The sound of the
drumbeat could be heard long after the ship had vanished, and I must
confess to feeling quite jealous of the B Bacherlor´s success, as well as
a sudden longing to return home.
The Bacherlor´s good fortune seemed to help us, because, the next
day, we managed to kill four whales; one whale for each harpoon boat.
The whales were dragged to the ship, and we spent the evening
celebrating our catch. After diner, I went up on deck to enjoy the fresh
night air. The moon had cast its silver light on the water and, as I stood
at the railing, appreciating the stunning beauty of the scene in front of
me, I heard muttering on the quarterdeck. I looked up and saw the
captain and Fedallah talking.
"Have you had any more visions, Fedallah?" asked Ahab.
CHAPTER 7 "I've had one," said the Persian. "It concerns your death ..."
What?" exclaimed Ahab. “What did you see? Will I die on this
journey? Before my mission is complete?"
"I do not know for sure," the Persian replied. “All I know is that if it is
WE HAD NOT SEEN A WHALE IN WEEKS; AND OUR SPIRITS your destiny to die on this voyage, I will die before you. And a rope
were understandably low. To make matters worse, we came across a will be the cause of your death."
ship called the Bachelor off the coast of Japan, which on its way home "A rope?" said the captain. "Do you mean that I will be hanged?
to Nantucket, with hundreds of barrels of whale oil on board. The crew Impossible! I'm glad you told me this, Fedallah, now I know that I will
was clearly in a festive mood; they had tied colorful ribbons to the kill Moby Dick and survive this journey. I am immortal at sea!'
masts and were dancing to the beat of a drum on deck. We learned With that, the two men walked away and I returned to the dining cabin,
later that the crew of the Bachelor had enjoyed good fortune in Pacific wishing I'd never heard that worrying conversation.
waters; in fact they had killed so many whales that they had to convert
pieces of wooden furniture into barrels to store the excess liquid. ...
As we passed the ship, our two captains had a brief conversation.
"Come aboard! Come aboard!" shouted the captain of the Bachelor to The blue skies and calm waters of the pacific can often change and
our very sad-looking Captain Ahab. “Come join the fun! We have become dangerous. The region is known for its typhoons, which seem
plenty of food and drink, and plenty to celebrate!" to burst unexpectedly out of a cloudless sky like exploding bombs. The
"Have you seen the white whale?" asked Ahab with a frown. "No, following afternoon, we watched helplessly as the heavens filled with
replied the captain. "We’ve heard of him, but I don't believe he exists. rolling dark clouds that threatened to bring destruction to the Pequod.
Come celebrate with us!" The wind howled and raged about us, causing the ship to rock wildly
Ahab shook his head. "You are a full ship heading home, I am an from side to side. Loud thunder filled the air, and lightning lit up the
empty ship heading out; it is best we continue on our journeys. blackened sky. The sight was both terrifying and impressive.
When a storm hits, the crew's first duty is to ensure that the
harpoon boats are properly secured. I was in the middle of helping
Stabuck and Stubb perform this task, when I heard some of the sailors
cry out. They were pointing at the masts and shouting.
"The white lights! The white lights!" they cried.
I looked up, and to my amazement, saw three white flames rising from
the masts.
"Have mercy on us all” cried Stubb.
"'Are the masts on fire?" I shouted to Starbuck. "Did the ship get
struck by lightning?"
"No," he said. "'Those lights have been known to appear during severe
storms...they're considered to be a bad omen..."
"'I never thought I'd live to see those lights!" said Stubb."We're
doomed! Doomed!"
Within minutes, the entire crew of the Pequod had gathered on deck.
They watched the flames leap and dance above the masts with open
mouths and disbelieving eyes.
"Aye, aye, men!" Shouted Ahab, as he walked towards the
quarterdeck. "Look at them! Those white flames are a sign! They light
the way to the white whale! Nothing can stop us now, nothing! Not
even a storm can keep us from destroying Moby Dick!"
Ahab threw his hands in the air and laughed maniacally.’ “This is our
destiny!" he cried.
Burning with anger, Starbuck quickly climbed the steps that led to the
quarterdeck and confronted his captain. "You're crazy, old man!" he
shouted above the thunderous roar of the storm. "Don't you see? This
storm is a warning... this mission of yours is cursed! You are putting
us all in terrible danger! Let us adjust the sails and return home!"
"No!" cried Ahab. "We will continue our journey!" He turned to
address the frightened crew below: "You took an oath to help me find
the white whale ... It is your duty to carry on till the very end, no
matter what obstacles we may face! Return to your posts, al once!"
The men hurried off in various directions, too terrified to question the
captain's authority.
Only Starbuck stayed where he was. "You'll regret this, old man!
You won't be happy until you kill us all!"
Ahab glared at his first mate and walked away slowly.
CHAPTER 8

WITHING TWO DAYS TYPOON HAD CALMED AND THE crew

of the Pequod could once again concentrate on the task of finding the
white whale, Moby Dick. As we sailed through equatorial fishing
waters following the course that Ahab had planned, we came across a
Nantucket wailing ship, the Rachel.
“Ahoy there” shouted Ahab to the captain of the ship. “Have you seen
the white whale?”
“Yes” confirmed the captain. “Have you by any chance seen a whale
boat?”
“No” answered Ahab.
The captain of the Rachel introduced himself as Captain Gardiner and
asked Ahab for permission to board our ship; Ahab agreed.
“Tell me about the whale” said Ahab, when the two men were standing
face to face. “When and where did you see him?”
“Late yesterday afternoon, about three miles south from here,” replied
Gardiner. “We had sent out three boats to hunt a school of whales,
when we saw Moby Dick´s white head and hump in the distance. We
decided to send out a fourth boat to pursue the whale; the crew
managed to harpoon him, but he pulled the boat with him for some
distance… Night fell and the other three boats returned to the ship…”
Gardiner paused. “We´ve researched everywhere for the fourth boats,
but we can´t find it. That´s why I came on board, Captain, to ask for
your help. Help us find the missing boat; I beg you, please help us!”
Ahab shook his head. “I can´t do that, I´m afraid, We´ll fall behind
schedule if we stop now.”
Gardiner looked at Ahab begging. “Please captain Ahab. My son was
on that boat… he´s only twelve years old! You must help me find
him!”
Ahab sighed. “I said before, I cannot help you”
“But I´ll pay you!” said Gardiner. “I´ll pay you anything! Please!”
“I can´t help you” shouted Ahab. “Leave my ship at once”
Gardiner stared at Ahab shocked. Avoiding the captain look, Ahab
walked quickly to his cabin and Gardiner was left with no opinion
But to return to the ship.
“We could've helped him find the lad," Stubb whispered to Starbuck.
"Aye," replied the first mate." Ahab is letting his obsession turn him
into a monster."
…
Shortly after the encounter with the Rachel, we crossed paths with
another ship, the Delight. As the ship came closer, we noticed a
shattered whaleboat tied to the quarter-deck. The dangling white
planks and splinters of wood reminded me of a skeleton.
"Have you seen the white whale?" Ahab called out.
The captain of the Delight pointed to the wreckage and said, "Yes, and
he did that."
“Did you kill him?” asked Ahab.
The captain shook his head. "No one can kill that whale."
Then, the captain of the Delight removed his hat and muttered a
prayer, while his crew threw what appeared to be a body wrapped in
fabric into the ocean.
"That whale killed six of my men," said the captain, by way of
explanation. "We were only able to retrieve one body. I warn you, old
man, stay away from Moby Dick.”
Ahab ordered us to move on quickly, and we left the crew of the
Delight to their misery.
The incident must have upset Ahab, because he spent the rest of the
afternoon on deck, staring quietly into the ocean. At one moment, I
saw a tear roll down his cheek and fall into the sea. Noticing the
captain's distress, Starbuck walked up to Ahab and laid hand on his
shoulder.
The captain turned around quickly. "Oh, Starbuck," he said.
"Are you all right, Captain?" asked the mate.
"Oh, yes, yes, I'm fine," replied Ahab. "This day reminds me of the
first time I killed a whale ... I was just eighteen at the time. Do you
know that I've been a whaling man for nearly forty years now?
I've spent most of my life at sea, away from my wife, my son, my
home in Nantucket. ..I have led a lonely life, Starbuck ... I should be
Home with my family: instead, I am here chasing that wicked whale.
This obsession is destroying me and I have grown tired of it…”
Starbuck looked relieved. “Then let us go home Captain! Let us give
up the research for the whale and return to our family safely.”
Ahab sighed. “I wish I could do that,” he said. “But something forces
me to carry on researching on that evil creature. It is my destiny to kill
Moby Dick and I cannot give up until I have succeeded in my quest…”
Disappointed by the captain´s response. Starbuck simply shook his
head and walked away.
Ahab continue to survey the sea, and was soon joined by Fedallah,
who remained by his side until the sky was covered in stars.

CHAPTER 9

LATER THAT NIGHT, AHAB RETURNED TO HIS POSITION ON

the quarterdeck. He had been there for about one hour when I notice
him sniffing the sea air. He scanned the dark water for several minutes
before shouting: “There he blows!” It´s Moby Dick! There is his
hump, as white as snow-capped hill!”
A frenzy of activity followed: Starbuck was ordered to stay on board
and steer the ship, while three whale boats belonging to Ahab, Flask
and Stubb were dropped in the black ocean. Mates shouted
instructions: oarsmen tool up their positions and the chase began. All
that was visible of the enormous whale was his hump, which
resembled a large while island surrendered by bubbling sea foam.
Ahab´s boat was the first to reach the whale and, sensing danger, the
creature lifted his head out of the water. Then, he divided into the
ocean and disappeared.
“He probably be down for at least an hour,” Ahab muttered to
Fedallah.
But the captain had underestimate Moby Dick´s craftiness. The whale
returned to the surface moments later with his enormous red mouth
wide open, ready to devour Ahab´s boat.
“Jump!” shouted the captain, as he caught sight of the whale´s white
teeth. Ahab and his crew had just seconds to dive out of harm´s
Way before Moby Dick´s powerful jaws grasped the little boat and
crunched it into pieces. Satisfied with his victory, the whale swam
away, leaving Ahab and his men to their fate.
The captain and his crew were rescued by the Pequod shortly
afterwards. Once the other two boats had returned to the ship, Ahab
summoned the crew on deck.
"Men," he began, "tonight the whale had his final triumph. Tomorrow
he will not be able to escape us. “The doubloon is mine, because I was
the first man to see the whale.
However, the first man who sees the whale on the day we succeed in
killing him will receive the coin, and if I am the first man to see him,
then I will give ten times the coins worth to each and every man on
this ship."
The men cheered, and many, including me, went to sleep. Ahab
however, remained on deck until dawn, hoping to catch sight of his
enemy, the white whale.

…
Shortly after noon the following day, one of the crew members, who
was sitting in the crow's nest shouted: "There he blows! There he
blows! The white whale, up ahead!"
Once again, three boats were lower into the sea, while Starbuck stayed
behind to man the ship. With Ahab's boat in the middle, the three
whaleboats flew across the water in hot pursuit of the whale.
The boats approached Moby Dick directly and as soon as they were
dose enough, Ahab, Tashtego and Daggoo threw their harpoons into
the animal’s side. The whale twisted wildly in the water in a desperate
effort to escape. He rolled over several times, causing the harpoon
lines to become tangled. The quick-thinking Ahab grabbed a boat-
knife and cut the line connecting his boat with the whale; but Flask and
Stubb were not so fortunate. As a result of Moby Dick's furious
wriggling the two mates' boats crashed into each other, and both crews
were thrown into the ocean.
Ahab and his men felt a sudden and violent impact, as Moby Dick
smashed into their boat with his huge white forehead, sending it flying
into the air. The boat turned over several times before landing
In the water, and Ahab and his crew were tossed into the sea.
Once again, the Pequod came to the rescue of its crew rnembers,
picking up sailors, planks and oars as it went. It was not until Ahab
had been helped back on board the ship that the crew noticed that his
false leg had been snapped off.
"Are you all right, Captain?" asked Stubb."Did the whale injure you?"
"I'm fine," said Ahab. "The whale may have taken my leg, but I am
still determined to destroy him."Ahab glanced around anxiously.
“Is everyone here?”
The entire crew was present, except one man. The Persian was
missing.
"Where is Fedallah?" asked Ahab anxiously. "Find him at once," he
ordered.The crew searched every corner of the ship, but there was no
trace of Fedallah.
"I'm sorry,sir." said Starbuck. "But he's not here."
I think I saw him get tangled up in the lines," said Stubb."He must
have drowned."
Ahab was silent for a momrnt. "So. the first part of Fedallah's
prophecy has come true.I can only hope that the rest of it does not...
Prepare yourselves, men! Tomorrow, we will pursue Moby Dick for
the last time; by evening that whale will be dead and we will be
celebrating!"
Starbuck's jaw fell open. "You can't be serious!" he exdaimed.
"That whale has destroyed four of our boats and killed a man; how can
you expect us to keep risking our lives to capture him? Put an end to
this madness, Ahab, I beg you!"
Ahab narrowed his eyes."Do not question my authority, Starbuck.
I had already explained to you that it is my destiny to destroy this
whale. There is no other way.Men, prepare for the hunt; tomorrow, the
whale is ours!"
And so, the crew members of the Pequod spent the whole night
sharpening lances and harpoons and preparing the spare boats for the
hunt. The carpenter was kept busy too, making a new leg for Ahab.
The men worked in silence;only the sounds of hammers could be heard
echoing through the night
The third day of the hunt dawned, and crew members were ordered to "Keep going, men!"shouted Ahab.
stand at variou points across the ship to keep looking for the whale. The boats got closer to the whale, and the sailors could clearly see a
"Do any of you see him?" Ahab shouted rfom the quarterdeck. number of harpoons and spears sticking out of his flesh.
"No. sir, there's no sign of him; Starbuck replied. "There!" yelled the captain. And then there was a sight that froze
"We must have passed him in the night." said Ahab. "Now the hunter everyone.The white whale was carrying Fedallah's dead body tangled
has become the hunted ...Turn the ship around, men!" on its side!
An hour or so later, the captain spotted Moby Dick's familiar white Ahab was silent forva while."I see him again," he finally whispered.
hump and cried out."There he is!Lower lhe boab at once!" “As he had said. Now my end must be near...”
The crew prang into action, while Starbuck once again took command “Attack, men!” he then shouted. Obviously angered by the attacks of
of the ship.The boats set out after the whale, but were met with an the day before, the whale lifted its enormous tail and smashed Flask
unexpected surprise when a group of sharks surfaced and began and Stubb's boats to pieces. Ahab's boat, however, was left untouched.
mapping hungrily at the oars. The whale sounded once more, and Ahab urged his crew to chase after
him. Then, the sharks retumed to resume their attack, biting and
"Keep rowing!" Ahab urged his sailors. crunching the oars.
The whale disappeared under the water, but as Ahab and his men "The oars are getting smaller and smaller!" shouted a sailor.
approached him, the huge white animal burst through to the surface, "Never mind!" said Ahab. "Keep going!"
like an iceberg rising out of the ocean. The creature made a low The whale drifted to the surface of the water,apparently unaware that
threatening noise as he turned to face his pursuers. Ahab's boat was nearby. Summoning up all his might, Ahab
threw his harpoon at the whale and watched it go through the creature's
side. The whale's body jerked and bumped against the boat. Ahab and
his crew managed to keep the boat steady, but one of the oarsmen was
thrown into the ocean.
Then, Moby Dick prepared himself for his final act of destruction. He
sped towards the Pequod, the source of all his troubles, and smashed
his forehead intothe ship, tearing a hole in the side of it.
"My ship!" yelled Ahab, as he watched the pequod rapidly fill up with
water.
The whale dived beneath the sinking ship, then surfaced once more a
short distance from Ahab's boat.
"Die, you evil whale" shouted the captain as he hurled his harpoon at
the animal. The harpoon sank into Moby Dick's hump and the whale
swam away quickly. Ahab tried to jump out of the way of the harpoon
line,but it was too late.The rope caught Ahab by the throat, and
dragged him into the water, much to the horror of his crew.
But the greatest horror was yet to come: the sinking Pequod created a
whirlpool in the middle of the ocean. Its force was so powerful that it
pulled every single sailor down into the depths of the sea. The last
picture of the Pequod was that of its three masts quickly sinking
underwater with the ship's three harpooners perched on each one of
them, as if they were still on the tookout for whales.
Within minute, all traces of the Pequod had been eliminated. The
whirlpool vanished, and the sea continued to roll on as it had for
thousands of years.
I was the only man who survived Moby Dick's fury. When Fedallah
died, Ahab choce me to replace him in his boat: I was thrown into the
water when the whale bumped into it. By the time I reached the
whirlpool,it has closed up. Fortunately, one sourvenir of the Peqoud
remained: my friend Queeque´s coffin. As I approached the whirlpool,
it shot put of the water and landed next to me. I climbed onto it, and
waited. A whole day and night passed before the Rachel finally came
to my rescue.
It saddens me when I think about the Pequod and all the friends I lost
on that terrible day. But I learnt a valuable lesson on that jorney:
when a man become obsessed, he is certain to cause his own
destruction and bring nothing but suffering to those closest to him.