Nantucket Look-Outs
Drawing from Obed Macy’s history of Nantucket, the narrator reveals that before ships were regularly launched in pursuit of whales, the island’s people erected lofty spars along the sea-coast. Look-outs ascended these poles using nailed cleats, ascending “something as fowls go upstairs in a hen-house.” This coastal watch system was later adopted by New Zealand Bay whalemen, who would signal to boats stationed near the beach upon spotting whales. The narrator notes this custom has become obsolete, prompting the turn to proper shipboard mast-heads.
The Watch Routine
The three mast-heads of a whale-ship remain continuously manned during daylight hours. Seamen rotate in regular shifts, relieving each other every two hours in a manner analogous to steering rotations. This systematic watch-keeping ensures constant vigilance for whales and other ships throughout the day.
Tropical Mast-Head Serenity
In the serene weather of the tropics, the narrator finds the mast-head experience “exceedingly pleasant” and even “delightful” for one of dreamy, meditative temperament. Standing a hundred feet above the silent decks, straddling the deep as if upon “gigantic stilts,” one observes the vast sea while enormous monsters swim beneath. The tranced ship rolls indolently, the drowsy trade winds blow, and everything dissolves into languor. The whaling life in these latitudes brings “a sublime uneventfulness”—no news, no newspapers, no domestic troubles, no financial anxieties, and no concerns about meals, as three years’ provisions rest snugly stowed in casks.
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