Boat Enters Mist Ahead of Squall
The boat enters a broad, suffusing veil of mist that hides both ship and other vessels. Starbuck, aft at the sail, urges the crew on, spotting white water ahead and calling for another strike before the squall arrives.
Failed Harpoon Strike Swamps Boat
Two cries from nearby boats signal they have fastened to whales. Starbuck suddenly commands the crew to stand as an enormous wallowing sound approaches. Queequeg hurls his harpoon, but a miscalculated rush drives the boat onto a ledge, the sail collapses, scalding vapor bursts upward, and the crew is thrown into the churning white foam. The whale, merely grazed, escapes.
Crew Trapped in Storm-Swamped Boat
The boat, though swamped, remains nearly intact. The crew lashes the oars across the gunwale for buoyancy and sits knee-deep in seawater, gazing down at what seems a coral boat rising from the ocean floor as the squall rages around them.
Crew Lights Hope Lantern in Storm
With the sea too rough to bail and the oars serving only as life-preservers, Starbuck finally ignites the lantern from the waterproof match keg. He hoists the feeble light on a waif pole and hands it to Queequeg, who sits holding it aloft as a symbol of hope held in the midst of despair.
Dawn Breaks and Ship Is Spotted
Wet, chilled, and despairing, the crew looks up as dawn breaks through the mist. Queequeg hears faint creaking of ropes and yards, and a huge, vague form parts the fog, bearing down on them as the ship looms into view.
Crew Rescued from Swamped Boat
The crew leaps into the sea just before the ship rolls over the abandoned boat, which is churned beneath the bows like a chip in a cataract before reappearing weltering astern. After being dashed against the hull by the waves, the men are hauled aboard and safely landed.
The original text of this work is in the public domain. This page focuses on a guided summary article, reading notes, selected quotes, and visual learning materials for educational purposes.