Active Final Preparations on the Pequod
A day or two passed with great activity aboard the Pequod. Old sails were being mended while new sails arrived on board, along with bolts of canvas and coils of rigging, indicating the ship’s preparations were hurrying to a close. Captain Peleg seldom went ashore, instead sitting in his wigwam keeping a sharp lookout upon the hands. Bildad handled all purchasing and providing at the stores. The men working in the hold and on the rigging labored until long after night-fall.
Crew Belongings Notice and Sailing Delay
The day after Queequeg signed the articles, word was given at all the inns where the ship’s company were staying that their chests must be on board before night, as the vessel might sail soon. However, the ship did not sail for several days despite this long notice, since there was a good deal to be done and many things to be thought of before the Pequod was fully equipped.
Unique Supply Demands of Whaling Voyages
Just as a household requires beds, saucepans, knives and forks, shovels and tongs, and numerous other essentials, whaling necessitates a three-years’ housekeeping upon the wide ocean, far from all grocers, costermongers, doctors, bakers, and bankers. While merchant vessels also need extensive provisioning, whaling demands are far greater due to the voyage’s length, the numerous articles peculiar to the fishery, and the impossibility of replacing them at remote harbors. Additionally, whaling vessels face more accidents than other ships, risking the very things upon which the voyage’s success depends. Therefore, spare boats, spars, lines, harpoons, and nearly every other supply must be carried aboard.
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