CHAPTER 33 The Specksnyder

Concerningtheofficersofthewhale-craft,thisseemsasgoodaplaceasanytosetdownalittledomesticpeculiarityonship-board,arisingfromtheexistenceoftheharpooneerclassofofficers,aclassunknownofcourseinanyothermarinethanthewhale-fleet.

Thelargeimportanceattachedtotheharpooneer'svocationisevincedbythefact,thatoriginallyintheoldDutchFishery,twocenturiesandmoreago,thecommandofawhaleshipwasnotwhollylodgedinthepersonnowcalledthecaptain,butwasdividedbetweenhimandanofficercalledtheSpecksnyder.LiterallythiswordmeansFat-Cutter;usage,however,intimemadeitequivalenttoChiefHarpooneer.Inthosedays,thecaptain'sauthoritywasrestrictedtothenavigationandgeneralmanagementofthevessel;whileoverthewhale-huntingdepartmentandallitsconcerns,theSpecksnyderorChiefHarpooneerreignedsupreme.IntheBritishGreenlandFishery,underthecorruptedtitleofSpecksioneer,thisoldDutchofficialisstillretained,buthisformerdignityissadlyabridged.AtpresentherankssimplyasseniorHarpooneer;andassuch,isbutoneofthecaptain'smoreinferiorsubalterns.Nevertheless,asuponthegoodconductoftheharpooneersthesuccessofawhalingvoyagelargelydepends,andsinceintheAmericanFisheryheisnotonlyanimportantofficerintheboat,butundercertaincircumstances(nightwatchesonawhalingground)thecommandoftheship'sdeckisalsohis;thereforethegrandpoliticalmaximoftheseademands,thatheshouldnominallyliveapartfromthemenbeforethemast,andbeinsomewaydistinguishedastheirprofessionalsuperior;thoughalways,bythem,familiarlyregardedastheirsocialequal.

Now,thegranddistinctiondrawnbetweenofficerandmanatsea,isthis—thefirstlivesaft,thelastforward.Hence,inwhale-shipsandmerchantmenalike,themateshavetheirquarterswiththecaptain;andso,too,inmostoftheAmericanwhalerstheharpooneersarelodgedintheafterpartoftheship.Thatistosay,theytaketheirmealsinthecaptain'scabin,andsleepinaplaceindirectlycommunicatingwithit.

ThoughthelongperiodofaSouthernwhalingvoyage(byfarthelongestofallvoyagesnoworevermadebyman),thepeculiarperilsofit,andthecommunityofinterestprevailingamongacompany,allofwhom,highorlow,dependfortheirprofits,notuponfixedwages,butupontheircommonluck,togetherwiththeircommonvigilance,intrepidity,andhardwork;thoughallthesethingsdoinsomecasestendtobegetalessrigorousdisciplinethaninmerchantmengenerally;yet,nevermindhowmuchlikeanoldMesopotamianfamilythesewhalemenmay,insomeprimitiveinstances,livetogether;forallthat,thepunctiliousexternals,atleast,ofthequarterdeckareseldommateriallyrelaxed,andinnoinstancedoneaway.Indeed,manyaretheNantucketshipsinwhichyouwillseetheskipperparadinghisquarterdeckwithanelatedgrandeurnotsurpassedinanymilitarynavy;nay,extortingalmostasmuchoutwardhomageasifheworetheimperialpurple,andnottheshabbiestofpilot-cloth.

AndthoughofallmenthemoodycaptainofthePequodwastheleastgiventothatsortofshallowestassumption;andthoughtheonlyhomageheeverexacted,wasimplicit,instantaneousobedience;thoughherequirednomantoremovetheshoesfromhisfeeteresteppinguponthequarter-deck;andthoughthereweretimeswhen,owingtopeculiarcircumstancesconnectedwitheventshereaftertobedetailed,headdressedtheminunusualterms,whetherofcondescensionorinterrorem,orotherwise;yetevenCaptainAhabwasbynomeansunobservantoftheparamountformsandusagesofthesea.

Nor,perhaps,willitfailtobeeventuallyperceived,thatbehindthoseformsandusages,asitwere,hesometimesmaskedhimself;incidentallymakinguseofthemforotherandmoreprivateendsthantheywerelegitimatelyintendedtosubserve.Thatcertainsultanismofhisbrain,whichhadotherwiseinagooddegreeremainedunmanifested;throughthoseformsthatsamesultanismbecameincarnateinanirresistibledictatorship.Forbeaman'sintellectualsuperioritywhatitwill,itcanneverassumethepractical,availablesupremacyoverothermen,withouttheaidofsomesortofexternalartsandentrenchments,always,inthemselves,moreorlesspaltryandbase.Thisitis,thatforeverkeepsGod'strueprincesoftheEmpirefromtheworld'shustings;andleavesthehighesthonorsthatthisaircangive,tothosemenwhobecomefamousmorethroughtheirinfiniteinferioritytothechoicehiddenhandfuloftheDivineInert,thanthroughtheirundoubtedsuperiorityoverthedeadlevelofthemass.Suchlargevirtuelurksinthesesmallthingswhenextremepoliticalsuperstitionsinvestthem,thatinsomeroyalinstanceseventoidiotimbecilitytheyhaveimpartedpotency.Butwhen,asinthecaseofNicholastheCzar,theringedcrownofgeographicalempireencirclesanimperialbrain;then,theplebeianherdscrouchabasedbeforethetremendouscentralization.Nor,willthetragicdramatistwhowoulddepictmortalindomitablenessinitsfullestsweepanddirectswing,everforgetahint,incidentallysoimportantinhisart,astheonenowalludedto.

ButAhab,myCaptain,stillmovesbeforemeinallhisNantucketgrimnessandshagginess;andinthisepisodetouchingEmperorsandKings,ImustnotconcealthatIhaveonlytodowithapooroldwhalehunterlikehim;and,therefore,alloutwardmajesticaltrappingsandhousingsaredeniedme.Oh,Ahab!whatshallbegrandinthee,itmustneedsbepluckedatfromtheskies,anddivedforinthedeep,andfeaturedintheunbodiedair!