Slain Whales’ Positions
The four whales killed that evening had died spread out across the ocean at considerable distances from one another: one far to windward, one closer to leeward, one ahead of the ship, and one astern. By nightfall, three of these whales had been brought alongside the vessel, but the windward whale remained unreachable until morning.
Waif-Pole on Dead Whale
A waif-pole was driven upright into the dead whale’s spout-hole, with a lantern suspended from its top. The lantern’s flickering light illuminated the whale’s dark, glossy back and stretched across the midnight waves, which gently lapped against the massive flank like soft surf upon a beach.
Sharks Around Dead Whale
Ahab and most of his boat’s crew appeared to be sleeping, with only the Parsee keeping watch from the bow. The Parsee observed sharks circling the whale in spectral fashion, their tails tapping against the light cedar planks of the boat. The eerie sounds they made resembled the moaning of ghost squadrons over Asphaltites, creating a shuddering atmosphere.
Ahab and Parsee’s Dialogue
Ahab awoke and confronted the Parsee face to face, with the surrounding darkness making them appear as the last survivors in a flooded world. Ahab mentioned dreaming again of hearses. The Parsee recalled having told him that neither hearse nor coffin would be his fate. When Ahab asked about those who die at sea, the Parsee clarified that before Ahab could die on this voyage, two hearses must be sighted on the sea—the first not made by human hands, and the second built with American-grown wood. Ahab expressed wonder at the thought of a hearse floating on the ocean waves as pall-bearers, suggesting such a sight would be long remembered.
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