Chapter 65 60．Whaling lines and the perils of life

Next, I shall soon speak of the commencement of the whaling by the Pequod. Before I begin to talk about whaling, I must tell you about one of the most important and indispensable instruments in our whaling. This is the whaling line. To those of us who go out to sea to hunt whales, whaling lines are uncanny, even frightening. Whaling line is a rope made of hemp specially used for hunting whales. The lines were each two-thirds of an inch thick, and varied in length according to the subject. Take the ropes for catching sperm whales as an example, each of which is more than twelve hundred feet long.

It takes a lot of work to make this kind of whaling line. First twist the strands of marijuana into fifty-one strands, then divide the fifty-one strands into three parts, and make each part into one large strand, and finally, combine these three strands into one whole strand Son. The resulting whale-line is very strong. Some people have done experiments, and each small strand is enough to lift a weight of 130 pounds. Calculated in this way, the whole rope can lift a weight of more than three tons. The whaling lines used in the past were all made of hemp, which was then sprayed with a thin layer of oil, which was not only easy to weave, but also made the rope strong and shiny.

But experienced knitters and sailors know that you must not spray too much, or the strength of the rope will be affected. Now, the whaling lines used by Americans are all made of Manila rope, because Manila rope is stronger, more elastic, and better-looking than hemp rope, and is more suitable for small whaling boats. If the whaling rope made of hemp is a dark-skinned Indian, then Manilasau is a Caucasian West Garcia with a golden skin. On whaling ships, the whaling line is specially wound in the line barrel. There is a core-like thing in the middle of the rope barrel, and the whaling line is wound around it, from the middle to the outside, layer by layer, and the winding is very strong.

Winding a whaling line is a very troublesome thing. Sometimes, it takes a whole morning to wind a whaling line. Because the person who winds the rope knows that if the rope is not neatly wound, if the rope is knotted or entangled, then when the rope is released, it is very likely that the hands, feet or even the whole body of the people on board will be strangled, making them unable to move. , in that case, the consequences will be serious. On British whaling ships, there are usually two barrels for rope. They did this smartly and could easily accommodate the two buckets in the cabin. This is not the case with the Americans, who have only one large barrel, nearly three feet in diameter and depth.

It is a real headache to accommodate such a huge thing in the limited space of the cabin. You must know that this guy adds a lot of burden to the whaling boat in every way. Apart from the six javeliners and oarsman at the helm and oars, there were only some oars and this cask in the whaling skiff. To use an analogy, if a large piece of oilcloth is used to cover the vat, it is as if six people rowed a small boat and sent a huge wedding cake to the hateful whale. The whale-line was wound into the barrel, but the two chiefs were left out. Why do the bosses below also stay outside?Turns out, it made sense to do so.

After a whale has been javelined, it is likely to dive down to the bottom of the sea, sometimes dragging the entire length of the rope. If that guy drills too fast, he will also take the boat into the sea and drag it to the bottom of the sea. In that case, no matter how you splash and shout in the water, you will never find your boat again. It has been dragged by the whale to the Dragon King. Much better if your whaling line is exposed at both ends. When the whale being tied is fleeing with the whaling line, you only need to connect the lower head with the whaling line near the ship, so that one rope becomes two ropes, and it is stuck The big whale can only drag two ropes and wander under the two boats.

It is very troublesome to explain the placement of the whaling line, but it is several times more troublesome to explain the use of the whaling line. First the upper end of the whale-line was drawn out of the barrel, passed over a post at the stern which acted as a pulley, straight up to the bow, crossed over the handles of each oar and oar, and then pulled to the In the front wooden wedge or groove, wrap it around a place with a buckle shaft in the groove, don't let it come off. And that's not all, it's got to be pulled from the buckle to the bow ornaments, turned around, and back, around sixty to one hundred and twenty feet around the barrel, and then around the side of the ship, pulled to the stern, with the javelin. The ropes are connected together, and this is the end of the matter.

Complicated enough, right? The whaling line was wound around the whaling boat in such an extremely complicated manner that it was like tying up the whaling boat tightly. To every sailor in a whaling boat, these lines are a net. If a person who has never been out in the sea saw this battle, he would definitely be timid. These ropes were like countless boa constrictors, dazzlingly wrapped around the Indian's body, and every sailor on the boat was in danger. When the javelin was thrown, so did their danger. The trapped whale roared and galloped away, and the snare also exploded suddenly.

All the devices on the whaling boat were running at high speed. At this time, the whaling boat shook violently, and everyone couldn't control their balance. Their hearts trembled, as if they were on the gallows. They understand that they can no longer control their own destiny. However, before the danger appeared, everyone on board was still trying their best to relax themselves. They teased each other, joked, quipped, and bickered far more tactfully and brilliantly than usual. But, who knows if they went to the gate of hell? If you're in the trade you can often get sad news of one way or another of someone getting tangled up in a whaling line and falling out and done for.

Of course, you will also see it with your own eyes. It was one of many disasters facing whalers. The scene before the rainstorm may be more terrifying than the scene of the rainstorm pouring down. Silence, darkness, and dark clouds overwhelm the city. A rifle may not seem scary until you are told it is a weapon, yet it has powder and pellets in its chamber. Like the two metaphors above, when the whaling line has not yet had a fatal effect, it is quietly wound in the rope barrel on the ship. If you are just sitting in the boat as a tourist, you may not feel its horror. However, this is not the case for the six people on board who are up for the challenge, and they don't know what fate awaits them.

Fear gripped them. But are these few people shrouded in danger? For human beings, isn't everyone living in a shroud of danger similar to this? When you came into this world, you wore a rope around your neck, whether you realized it or not. The rope you can be aware of, but not see. When the god of death came, the rope was tightened all of a sudden. Only then did you deeply realize its existence, but you have gone forever. Step into life and you're already on a whaling skiff. Let's learn from a philosopher who has seen through life, so that his life is like sitting in front of the fireplace in his own home, always in a relaxed mood and calmly.