Chapter 58 53．party

Captain Ahab did not go aboard the whaler we met. The reason why he didn't go is: the weather has changed a bit, and a big storm will come at any time. In fact, everyone knows that his reason is an excuse, even if there is no change, he will not pass. The reason was simple, he was not very interested, and the people on the boat did not give any useful answers to his questions about the white whale. There was hardly anything that interested Captain Ahab now, save the white whale. But we still had a brief reunion with the whaler in accordance with the rules of the whaler. Here I want to talk about the custom of meeting whaling ships at sea.

In fact, this is a very reasonable thing. Take it on land as an example. When two people cross a large forest or plain, they meet halfway. At this time, if they are normal, they must Feeling very cordial, they would stop, greet each other, rest together for a while, chat, and then part amicably. For a whaling ship that sails on the vast sea, almost to the ends of the earth, and sees no one but itself for many years, it is even more gratifying to meet a fellow ship. At this time, the two ships not only have to say hello and greet each other, but also stop for a short but friendly meeting, and if they are from the same country or acquaintances, they even have a party.

They would exchange messages with each other, and exchange letters piggybacking on each other, and sometimes newspapers, which would keep them informed of newer lands. In addition, the most important conversation between them is probably to exchange some news about various fishing grounds, and ask each other about the harvest situation and plans. Even ships that are unfamiliar or have never been encountered before, they will perform the etiquette according to the rules. It's just that the degree of intimacy between whaling ships who are not from the same hometown or even from the same country is less.

The Brits are always reserved, and there is always an air of superiority about them, which seems to despise rustic Americans, especially Nantucketers. Although they regard themselves as metropolitans and Nantucketers as farmers on the water, in fact, their sense of superiority is only in their feelings, you know, even if they catch whales in ten years , nor did the Nantucketers catch as many in a day! Fortunately, the people of Nantucket are aware of these little problems of the British who have little influence, and they also have their own shortcomings, so they don't care too much about it.

From this it can be seen that, of all the ships that sail the seas, the whaler is the most friendly. But those merchant ships were different. When they met on the Atlantic Ocean, they often didn't even say hello, as if they didn't see each other. Not only that, maybe they will watch from afar and make some irony about each other's ship type and equipment! The encounter between warships is very hypocritical. They have to lower the flag slightly and make a series of actions similar to standing at attention and saluting. When the slave ships met each other, they were the least polite. Their reactions were only panic and avoidance, because they were not doing bright business.

As for the meeting of the pirate ship, the usual words are: "How many have been slaughtered?" It's like the first question of a whaling ship-"Hey, how many barrels have you killed?" Compared with the above-mentioned types of ships, whaling ships can be described as well-behaved and honest, sociable and frank, and friendly but not restricted by etiquette. I don't know if you know, there is also an activity called "party" between whaling ships at sea! It was a festive gathering peculiar to whaling ships, not of any other kind, and though they scorned it, on whalers the people relished it.

So, what exactly is a "party"? No dictionary has this explanation, only our Nantucketers know it in their hearts. Simply define: A "party" is a social activity between two or more whaling ships that meets each other in a cruising sea area according to a mutually recognized method or custom. Usually, these activities begin after exchanging greetings, including mutual visits, dancing, dinners, etc., and even some small programs. This little show is for what the captain said. Because the captain wants to sit in the small boat to visit the captain of the other party, and there is no special seat for the captain on the whaling small boat, and all the people in the small boat have to go, so the captain can only Standing on the boat.

The captain stood among his sailors, all standing upright, trying to show their dignity, being under the gaze of the two large ships. In such a cramped space, standing on the bottom of such a bumpy boat and maintaining dignity, it can be seen that this is the most difficult time for the captain. The oars in front touched his knees, the rudder touched his waist in the back, and he had to put his hands in his trouser pockets in order to show his leisurely appearance. Don't you think it's difficult? You know, it's not easy just to put his big hands in the pockets of his trousers!

Accidents do happen. When a gust of wind blows and the boat pitches, the captain can't stand still, so he has to grab the hair of the nearest sailor with his hands. It's a great show that can still be seen on whaling ships.