Moby Dick; Or, The Whale

Stubb’s Tarpaulin Blows Overboard

As Stubb espouses his preference for proper clothing, his tarpaulin is suddenly blown overboard by a gust of wind. Stubb exclaims at the unmannerly winds from heaven, calling the night “nasty” as he witnesses his practical outerwear swept away—a humorous irony given his earlier advocacy for formal attire.

第一百二十二章 Midnight Aloft.—Thunder and Lightning.

On the main-top-sail yard, the harpooner Tashtego is occupied with securing new lashings around the yard as he works. Throughout the labor, he repeats a rhythmic “um, um, um” in a manner suggesting both the physical exertion of the task and perhaps a counting or chanting cadence. The scene captures a moment of tension between the powerful natural forces of thunder and lightning overhead and the sailors’ simple desires—specifically, the yearning for rum rather than the threatening thunder that surrounds them.

Main-Top-Sail Yard Lashing

The scene unfolds high above the deck, where the crew must secure the main-top-sail yard with new lashings. This rigging work represents one of many essential tasks that keep the whaling vessel operational as it pursues its quarry across the open seas.

Tashtego Passing New Lashings

Tashtego, the skilled harpooner, is depicted in the act of passing the new lashings around the main-top-sail yard. His expertise as a sailor is evident in this work aloft, where he must navigate the treacherous heights of the ship while performing the delicate operation of securing the rigging.

Midnight Aloft Thunder Complaint

At the stroke of midnight, aloft in the mastheads, the harpooner voices his complaint about the conditions surrounding him. The “thunder” he references likely alludes to the groaning and creaking of the ship and rigging in the wind, which creates a constant, thunderous din that penetrates even to the highest reaches of the vessel.