第一百十章 Queequeg in His Coffin.
Ishmael recounts how the crew searches for a leak in the ship’s hold, going deeper and deeper among ancient casks and tierces of supplies. The ship becomes increasingly top-heavy and unstable as they excavate, echoing like empty catacombs beneath their feet.
Discovery in the Hold
The sailors break out deeper and deeper into the hold, disturbing the huge ground-tier butts. They go so far that the puncheons appear corroded and weedy, almost suggesting ancient Noah’s wine casks. The deck becomes piled with provisions until the hull hollows and rolls dangerously in the sea.
Queequeg’s Fever
During this dangerous period, Queequeg, Ishmael’s close friend, falls ill with a fever that nearly kills him. Working as a harpooneer, he must not only face living whales but also descend into the hold’s gloom to handle heavy casks, a laborious confinement that weakens his constitution.
The Harpooneer’s Toil
Among whalemen, harpooneers are called “the holders” and face both the rage of living whales and the dead whale’s back in rolling seas. Queequeg toils bitterly all day in subterraneous confinement, manhandling the clumsiest casks and ensuring their stowage, with dignity and danger inseparable until one becomes Captain.
Queequeg’s Decline
Stripped to his woollen drawers, Queequeg crawls about the hold’s dampness and slime like a green spotted lizard. Despite sweating from exertion, he catches a terrible chill that lapses into fever. He wastes away until little remains but his frame and tattooing, yet his eyes become strangely luminous and deep, conveying an immortal testimony that cannot die or weaken.
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