Chapter 21 16. "The Pequod"

In bed, we began to discuss specific plans to go to sea. To my amazement, Queequeg already had some irrevocable "ideas."The idea came from the little puppet on him, called "Jojo". Jojo told him that the two of us could not go to the pier together to find the whaling ship. This task should be done by me, Ishmael, by myself, and Jojo secretly helped him. It also hinted that a boat had been chosen for us on the shore, the one I must choose at last; and that I would leave Queequeg and go aboard as a sailor! Queequeg believed in the puppet on his body very much, and he had to ask it for instructions in everything. Queequeg would act as if he had heard an imperial decree, even though sometimes it might be out of a good heart. Come up with something contradictory.

I have some opinions on this matter today, Queequeg has experience, and he should be allowed to choose a boat; but Queequeg insisted on going his own way, and let me go without any hesitation. There was no other way, and the next day, leaving Queequeg and his Jojo in the house tinkering with some rituals, I went to the pier alone. After asking casually, I learned that there are three ships that will set sail in the near future with a three-year voyage: "Magic Gate", "Delicious", and "Pequode". "Magic Gate" does not know where the code came from, but "Pequode" knows a thing or two. This is the name of an Indian tribe in Massachusetts, a race that has been exterminated.

I looked around in the three ships, and finally decided to go to the "Pequord". There are many kinds of ships. You may have seen those galleons, sampans, and galleys...but I believe that you have never heard of or seen such an old ship as the "Pequode". This is an old ship that has sailed through all the oceans and seas of the world. The long-term wind, sun, rain and waves have made it black as black, just like those French soldiers who have experienced many battles in Egypt and Siberia. The mottled bow seems to have a very imposing beard, and the mast from the coast of Japan—because the original mast was broken by a storm on the coast of Japan—is tall and straight, and it seems that it will never be broken again.The decks of the ship, broken in places, were carefully boarded together, as if the dents made by the trampling of a million men were irreparable.

Captain Farrar, who used to be the first mate on the ship, later became the captain of another ship, is still the majority shareholder of the Pequod. When Farrar was the first mate, he put a lot of effort into the decoration of the hull, inlaying and inlaying, making the whole hull look like an Ethiopian emperor with a heavy ivory around his neck. The ship is adorned with decades-old trophies, like a cannibal warrior adorned with the bones of his slain enemies. The bulwarks of the ship are like the jaws of a big whale, and the stakes on the bulwarks used to tie the rope are indeed the teeth of sperm whales. carved into.

"The Pequod" is a noble ship, but also a melancholy ship, and all things in the world seem to have some melancholic qualities in all noble people. I'm standing on its deck looking for a pawn so I can offer myself.But not only did not see the pawn, there was no one. A makeshift tent aft of the mainmast caught my eye, conical in shape and constructed from several large bones from the head of a right whale. Put those broad bony plates of the whale in the deck, and form a circle, and tie them together with ropes, and fasten them so that they form a point at the top.A triangular entrance was opened on the side facing the head. Sitting inside, you can see the direction of the big ship.

The tent seemed to have been set up after the ship docked.Inside sat a man who seemed to be a ringleader. Like ordinary sailors, he has brown skin and wears a blue helmsman's suit. The crow's feet on both sides of his eyes are thin and dense, which can be seen from the result of long-term observation at sea. It was noon, and he was taking a nap in an oak chair. "Are you the captain?" I asked. "If yes, what do you want from me?" "I want to be a sailor." "You? Not from Nantucket? Did you survive in a lifeboat?" "No, sir." "Well, do you know nothing about whaling?"

"Yes, sir. But I'll learn in no time! I've been on a merchant ship, and I..." "Merchant ship? Don't talk about merchant ship shit! Do you still think it's an honor to be a merchant ship? If you talk about merchant ship, I'll split your legs!" He said again: "Well, let me ask you, why are you on a whaling ship now? It's doubtful! Have you ever been a pirate, robbed your captain, murdered your first mate?" I tried my best to deny his half-serious, half-joking words.I could tell that this Nantucketer had an islander's narrow mind, and he had a deep prejudice against out-of-towners.

"Why do you come to whaling now? I can only hire you after I understand this!" "Well, sir, I just want to see the world and open my eyes to find out what whaling is all about." "Oh, to know what whaling is! Well, have you seen Captain Ahab?" "Who? Captain Ahab?" "Yes, the captain of this ship." "Hey, I thought you were the captain!" "Oh, it is Captain Peleg who is talking to you now. Captain Bildad and I are both shareholders of this ship, responsible for the equipment and manpower on board." "You just said you wanted to see whaling, so you must meet Captain Ahab, the one-legged Captain Ahab."

"What? The whale ate his other leg?" "Yes, the sperm whale ate one of his legs!" There was an irrepressible sadness in his voice, and I was almost moved.I made up my mind and said again: "That's right, we can deduce something from this incident, but I'm still skeptical if I haven't seen it myself!" "Young man, although you are young, you have not pretended to be an expert. You said you have been to sea..." "Sir, I have been to sea four times..." "Shut up, don't talk about your annoying merchant ships, I don't like to hear it! Do you still want to do whaling that may cost you your life?"

"Yes, sir." "Good. Would you dare to drive a javelin down a whale's throat, and pursue it till it was dead? Answer me, quick!" "Yes, sir. If I had to, I would. I mean, it's not going to happen." "Okay, it looks like you want to not only see but also participate in the whaling yourself, don't you? Yes, you said so.Well, please go forward and stand there for a while, then come back and tell me what you saw. " I'm a little confused when I hear this, is he joking?Or do you really want me to follow his orders?Seeing the angry look on his face, I no longer hesitated, turned around and walked towards the bow.

The boat was moored among the waves, shaking regularly, and in the distance was the endless ocean, vast and monotonous, mysterious and terrifying. "Tell me, what do you see?" As soon as I turned around, he asked me this. "The sea, the vast sea, that's all. It seems to be a gale." "Well, do you still have the same idea about seeing the world? Isn't what you saw just now a world?" I didn't know how to answer for a while.But the concept of going whaling and going whaling with the "Pequord" in my heart is still very firm. Captain Farrar saw what I was thinking, and nodded. "Okay then, come and sign with me." I followed him off the deck and down the cabin.At this time, I saw a man sitting on the crossbar at the stern, and he was Bildad. He sat upright on the cross-bar, neither crooked nor slanted, probably because he was afraid that the hem of his clothes would be pressed; beside him was a hat, his legs were straight and crossed, and his light brown jacket was buttoned up to the bottom. Under his chin and on his nose was a pair of spectacles; he was reading a large heavy book. Captain Bildad, who, like Captain Peleg, was the major shareholder of the ship, did have an extraordinary air.Once people see it, it will leave an indelible impression. The two captains of the "Pequode" are the major shareholders, and the rest of the shares belong to a large group of people in the port, including pensioners, orphans and widows, and some minors who are protected and taken care of. The shares of these people, figuratively speaking, may be just a keel, a foot of board, or even one or two nails.Money in Nantucket was invested in boats, just as money was invested in stocks elsewhere. Bildad, like Peleg and most of the island's inhabitants, was a Quaker.Even today, if you have the opportunity to visit the island, you can still see Quaker features in many islanders, but these features have weakened over time. Among these Quakers were brutal whalers, vengeful sailors, and aggressive outlaws. People on the island also have a habit of naming themselves with characters from the Bible.There is a difference between "you" and "you" in their address, which seems polite; however, there is always an element of adventure in their blood, and their bravery and fearlessness make them Scandinavians. The tyrant of the sea can also become a Roman Catholic with a poetic temperament. The Nantucket people's heroic character, which is not lacking in romance, has produced a character like Captain Bildad who is as quiet as a virgin and as moving as a rabbit. The wildness of a nature fighter.He is a great man in tragedy, and dominating others has become a pathological manifestation of his personality. Ah, young people, you must keep in mind that the greatness of human beings is often accompanied by the sickness of human beings, you must be vigilant! Captain Bildad, like Captain Peleg, is a retired whaler; unlike Captain Peleg, he has the character of being calm and calm when things happen.He received the strictest Quaker training in Nantucket. He has made countless voyages in the oceans and seas. He has been to Cape Horn and seen the idyllic work of the naked natives. He opposes human beings killing each other, but he can put on tights, brandish a javelin, and make big whales bleed out buckets of blood. Looking back at the past in his twilight years, I don't know how he unified his words and deeds in his heart.Perhaps, he has long seen clearly that one's beliefs are one thing, but the way one lives in the real world is another! Oh, from a midshipman in short skirts to a javeliner in an open waistcoat, then a mate, a captain, a stockholder, Bildad is now in his sixties and can finally escape from all reality The operation, and wait for dividends. Of course, it is undeniable that Captain Bildad also has a not-so-nice nickname: Scrooge.It is said that when he was on the ship, he was so mean to the sailors that after the ship docked, the sailors were taken directly to the hospital because they had been tortured to the point of weakness. It is said that when he was first mate, if he gave you one look from his hazel eyes, you would grab a hammer or a threading needle and get to work.Bildad is the embodiment of a strict utilitarianism.His features seemed to reflect this, too: lanky, with no excess flesh, nor a beard—he had only one on his chin. "Hey, Bildad, read it again! After thirty years of studying your holy book, where is the study now?" Bildad seemed to be accustomed to his old friend's teasing. He just raised his head, looked at Captain Farrer with a blank expression, and then looked at me with a hint of doubt. "Ah, he wants to come on our boat, let's hire him." "You want him to hire you?" asked Bildad flatly. "yes." "What do you think of him, Bildad?" "Row." He responded, then bowed his head and went to read his book again.The queer old Quaker! I didn't say anything, and watched my surroundings carefully. Farrar took out the ship's deed from a chest, and ink and pen, and laid them on a small table. I was thinking about the terms of the contract quickly in my mind. Of course, the key is how many "debts" I have.The so-called "removal of accounts" is a bonus.Because there is no wages on the Pujing ship, the reward is the profit after the whaling returns, and this profit is distributed to everyone according to a percentage. As far as I am a novice in the whaling industry, I don’t have much “disassembly”; but I have many sailing experiences, I can steer the helm, twist the rope, and adapt to sailing life. Low, it should be around one in two hundred and seventy-fifths.Although this is obviously a "big deal" that doesn't matter, it is acceptable to me. One point that needs to be explained here is that the size of the "debugging" in the whaling industry is based on the denominator. The larger the amount, the less money you get.One in two hundred and seventy-fifths is undoubtedly a "big bill", but I can still eat and live on the boat for free for three years! Maybe you will say that it is too pitiful to make money like this!Indeed.I have never wanted to make a fortune either, in this world, it is enough for me to have a foothold.Therefore, I think that one in two hundred and seventy-five is fair. Of course, if it is smaller, to one in two hundredth, that is the most ideal! The two major shareholders of the "Pequode", Farrar and Bildad, hold all the rights on the ship as big as what kind of sailors to hire, as small as whether they should purchase a rope for the ship. At this time, Captain Peleg took out a pencil and sharpened it hard, while Bildad was still reading his Bible leisurely. "I say Captain Bildad, how much do you pay this young man?" asked Captain Peleg. "You are better at this than me, I think one in seven hundred and seventy-seventh is about the same..." One in seven hundred and seventy-seventh, what a big "disassembly"!Friends on land may think that 777 is not small, but this is putting it in the denominator position! "No, no, no, Bildad, you're not being fair to the lad!" said Captain Peleg. "One in seven hundred and seventy-seven!" "No, one three hundredth! I wrote it, one three hundredth. Do you hear me, Bildad?" Bildad finally put down the Bible in his hand, raised his head and said, "Captain Peleg, you are indeed very generous, but have you thought about the other shareholders of this ship? Most of them are orphans and widows! You Giving him money is tantamount to stealing bread from those orphans and widows! One in seven hundred and seventy-seventh, Captain Farrar!" "Damn Bildad! I can't do what you say, or my conscience will be heavy enough to sink the ship in calm water!" cried Peleg, running to and fro. "Oh, Captain Farrar, your conscience may give the ship a few more inches of water, and that's none of our business, but don't you sink into the fire pit before you've got everyone in the water!" "Fire pit, fire pit! How dare you insult me ​​like that! Damn Bildad, if you dare to insult people casually, if you say it again, I will never be polite!" "You bastard! You son of robbers, get out! Get out!" He cursed and rushed towards Bildad in a rage. Bildad ducked away from him. I was terrified by this fighting by the two major owners of the ship, and I was thinking of getting on the ship, but I had to open the door first, because Bildad avoided his wrath like a stray dog. Captain Farrar. As soon as the door opened, Bildad ran out, but did not go far, and sat down on the stern beam where he had been sitting just now, looking sideways leisurely.Obviously, he was already familiar with Faller's furious look. Farrar had lost his temper and sat there wearily, like a helpless sheep. "Bah! Come on, the storm is gone! I say Bildad, you spear-grinder, fix this pen for me! Yes, thank you, Bildad!" "Young man, you just said you were called Ishmael, right? Let me give you 1/300th!" "Captain Farrar, I have a friend who also wants to be a sailor. Let him come with me tomorrow?" "Okay, let him come, let me see." "How much does he want to split the account?" Bildad, who lowered his head to read again, raised his head vigilantly and asked. "Bildad, that's none of your business. Let me ask you, Ishmael, did he hunt whales?" "Oh, Captain Farrar, I've lost count of how many whales he's killed!" "Well then, let him come!" After signing the contract, I left the Pequod.I accomplished a great thing, finding the ship that was to take me and Queequeg to Cape Horn, by Jojo's order. But I stopped suddenly: the two captains are just the owners of the ship, I haven't seen Captain Ahab who actually commands the ship! Generally speaking, the days when a whaling ship is in port are very short, and the days when it is out to sea are very long, so as soon as the ship docks, the captain will hurry up to go home or go ashore to do some errands.As for matters on the ship, he can completely let go and let the ship owners handle it. You'll be completely at his mercy once you're on board, though, so meet him now.So I went back on board again, and found Captain Peleg, and asked him where Captain Ahab was. "Why are you looking for him? Didn't we talk about it?" "Yes, we talked. But I still want to see him." Farrar said: "Meeting him is easy to say, but it is too difficult to see him. As soon as the boat docked, he went home and stayed at home. I can't see him anymore. Maybe he is sick." , maybe not, but it is certain that he is not in good health." "Some say he's a queer man, maybe, but he's a good man! Don't be afraid, you'll love him. He's a great man; he's godless; he doesn't speak, but when he does That's enough for you. You must submit to him completely!" "Ahab is by no means an ordinary person. He has been to college, and he has also been to wild places where cannibals live. He fought at sea and used a speargun to deal with creatures more terrifying than big whales!" "Speaking of his speargun, that's his pride! He's got the perfect shot!" "He is not Bildad, he is not Peleg, he is Ahab, King Ahab of ancient Israel, a condescending king!" "He is still a heinous person. After he was killed, the dogs went to lick his blood!" I said this casually. Farrar said again: "Oh, boy, come on, I tell you, you must not say that on the Pequod! The captain did not choose the name Ahab himself, but his stupid widow Give him a name!" "His mother died when he was one year old, but she said before she died that the nickname she gave her son will come true in the future!" "So now I solemnly warn you to be careful what you say. I have sailed with him, and I was his mate. He is a good man, a good scolding man, and not a good pious man like Bildad!" "In this regard, he is quite similar to me, of course he is better than me." "Since the last time he lost a leg to a whale; he's been in a bad mood, and that's quite understandable. Going to sea, lad, with a bad, joking captain, or a good, morose captain? I'm sure." , you will choose wisely." "You can't misunderstand this good captain who has only a wicked name. And he's got a good wife, married less than three voyages away! That's a good girl, and she's borne him a child!" "Well, do you know something about Captain Ahab?" I walked away in silence. The captain without a leg made me feel a little pity, but it was soon driven out by awe, which I can't describe exactly, but it's certainly not real awe. This not real awe did not arouse a feeling of disgust in me, but only added to the mystery.Fortunately, my thoughts soon turned to other things.The mysterious Ahab just disappeared from my mind for a while.