The Venetian Corruption of the Canaller
The Venetian Corruption of the Canaller The narrator describes the 360-mile Grand Canal of New York as a stream of “Venetianly corrupt and often lawless life,” where sinners flourish beside churches much as freebooters gather near halls of justice. The Canaller is depicted as picturesquely wicked on the water but rugged and masculine ashore, a vagabond capable of both plundering and helping strangers. The canal life is presented as a perilous transitional stage between quiet Christian farming and the barbaric whaling seas.
The Interruption of the Lima Gentlemen
The Interruption of the Lima Gentlemen As the Lakeman’s story begins, Don Pedro, Don Sebastian, and another Lima gentleman interrupt with playful but pointed objections, noting the proverb “Corrupt as Lima” and refusing to let their city be replaced by Venice in the comparison. The exchange blends humor, national pride, and shared cynicism about corruption, before Don Pedro at last urges the narrator onward with “The story.”
The Barricade at the Forecastle
The Barricade at the Forecastle When the Lakeman is confronted by the junior mates and harpooneers, two Canallers rush to his defense and drag him toward the forecastle, where he and his desperadoes hastily roll large casks into a windlass-lined barricade. The captain, brandishing pistols brought by the steward, furiously demands they come out and surrender, but Steelkilt leaps upon the barricade and defies him.
The Mutineers’ Demands
The Mutineers’ Demands From behind the barricade, Steelkilt warns that his death would trigger a general mutiny, and the ringleader demands assurance they will not be touched if they return to duty. The captain refuses to make promises and threatens to sink the ship, prompting Steelkilt and his men to declare they will not turn to work unless guaranteed they will not be flogged.
Imprisonment in the Hold
Imprisonment in the Hold The captain orders the men down into the forecastle, and after Steelkilt leads most of them below, the officers leap the barricade, secure the scuttle with a brass padlock, and imprison ten men in the dark hold. A twenty-man neutral watch remains on deck while the imprisoned toil at the pumps throughout the night, their clanking echoing dismally through the ship.
The Defection of the Mutineers
The Defection of the Mutineers At sunrise the prisoners refuse to work, and the captain forces them back below with water and biscuit. After three days of this, seven men surrender and emerge, broken by the fetid air and starvation. Steelkilt, still defiant, hurls insults at the captain until three more bolt upward from the desperate crowd below, leaving only three holdouts—Steelkilt and the two Canallers.
The Betrayal of Steelkilt
The Betrayal of Steelkilt Steelkilt proposes a final violent breakout with the two Canallers, but the pair secretly conspire to be first out so they can be first to surrender. When Steelkilt dozes, they bind and gag him, then shriek for the captain. He and his officers burst into the forecastle, and the treacherous allies drag their bound leader topside to claim credit for delivering a would-be murderer.
The Captain’s Fury
The Captain’s Fury The captain is enraged by the betrayal and the mocking voice that defied him, pacing the deck before the three men, who are collared and dragged about like dead cattle before being seized into the mizzen rigging. He compares them to vultures and declares that even vultures would not touch them, then separates the rebels from the loyal sailors to deal out judgment.
The Flogging of the Traitors
The Flogging of the Traitors The captain gives the captured rebels only a reprimand for their timely surrender, but turns on the two traitors in the rigging with a rope, lashing them cruelly until they hang their heads lifelessly. He spares them further punishment only because his wrist is sprained, turning instead to interrogate the exhausted Steelkilt, whose jaw has been cramped by the gag.
Steelkilt’s Threat to the Captain
Steelkilt’s Threat to the Captain In a tremulous hiss, Steelkilt warns the captain: “if you flog me, I murder you.” The captain draws back the rope to strike, but Steelkilt hisses another warning, “Best not,” and the captain, after two or three nervous paces across the deck, drops the rope and orders the exhausted ringleader cut down.
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