Stubb’s Departure
The captain, grateful for the warning, offers Stubb wine, which he refuses with a principled statement about not drinking with men he has deceived. The captain then suggests dropping all boats to tow the ship away from the whales since the calm weather makes drifting impossible.
Towing the Whale
Stubb hails the Guernsey-man, offering to help by pulling the lighter whale away from the ship using his long tow-line. While the Frenchman’s boats tow their vessel one direction, Stubb tows the floating whale the other, conspicuously paying out an unusually long line.
The Excavation
A breeze springs up and Stubb feigns casting off. The Frenchman sails away while the Pequod slides between them and the whale. Stubb quickly returns to the floating body and begins excavating with his boat-spade behind the side fin, digging into the whale’s flesh as if excavating a cellar. His crew watches anxiously as countless sea fowl dive and scream around them.
The Discovery
As the horrible stench continues, Stubb suddenly detects a faint stream of perfume flowing through the bad smells without being absorbed—a river flowing into another without blending. He cries out in delight, striking something in the whale’s depths.
Ambergris Found
Stubb thrusts both hands into the whale and withdraws handfuls of something resembling ripe Windsor soap or mottled old cheese—unctuous, savory, and easily dented, with a color between yellow and ash. This is ambergris, worth a gold guinea an ounce to any druggist. They secure about six handfuls, though much more is lost to the sea. Ahab’s urgent command to come aboard prevents them from retrieving more.
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