Queequeg Harpoons a Whale and Enters Herd Center
Each whaleboat targets a lone whale on the edge of the shoal; Queequeg successfully harpoons a whale that immediately darts straight into the center of the panicked herd, pulling the boat into the chaotic mass of whales, with Starbuck using his lance to fend off approaching whales and the oarsmen shouting warnings to avoid collisions with the crazed creatures surrounding them.
Use of Druggs to Subdue Multiple Whales
The crew uses druggs, wooden cross-shaped contraptions attached to harpoon lines, to wound and slow multiple whales at once, since they cannot chase every whale in the dense herd; two druggs are successfully deployed to tether two whales, but the third catches on a boat seat, tears it out, and briefly causes the boat to take on water before the crew stuffs clothing into the leak to stop it.
Boat Reaches the Calm Herd Core
As the boat moves deeper into the herd, the chaotic outer crowds of whales fall away, and the boat glides into the still, calm center of the shoal, a smooth, satin-like expanse of water called a “sleek” produced by moisture from the whales; the outer chaos of the panicked herd is visible in the distance, and small, tame whale calves occasionally approach the boat in the quiet core.
第八十七章 The Grand Armada.
The chapter excerpt follows the Pequod’s boat as it encounters a vast, multi-layered sperm whale pod spanning at least two to three square miles, observes the peaceful behaviors of central pod whales including nursing mothers and calves, witnesses a wounded, rampaging whale trigger mass panic and collective flight across the entire herd, and details the boat’s narrow escape and the limited capture of drugged whales in the aftermath.
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