79 
THE WHITE WHALE 
I then asked Queequeg whether he himself was ever troubled with 
dyspepsia ; expressing the idea very plainly, so that he could take it in. 
He said no ; only upon one memorable occasion. It was after a great 
feast given by his father the king, on the gaining of a great battle 
wherein fifty of the enemy had been killed by about two o’clock in the 
afternoon, and all cooked and eaten that very evening. 
“No more, Queequeg,” said I shuddering; “that will do”; for I 
knew the inferences without his further hinting them. I had seen a 
sailor who had visited that very island, and he told me that it was the 
custom, when a great battle had been gained there, to barbecue all the 
slain in the yard or garden of the victor ; and then, one by one, they 
were placed in great wooden trenchers, and garnished round like a 
pilau, with breadfruit and cocoanuts; and with some parsley in their 
mouths, were sent round with the victor’s compliments to all his friends, 
just as though these presents were so many Christmas turkeys. 
After all, I do not think that my remarks about religion made much 
impression upon Queequeg. Because, in the first place, he somehow 
seemed dull of hearing on that important subject, unless considered 
from his own point of view; and, in the second place, he did not more 
than one third understand me, couch my ideas simply as I would ; and, 
finally, he no doubt thought he knew a good deal more about the true 
religion than I did. He looked at me with a sort of condescending 
concern and compassion, as though he thought it a great pity that such 
a sensible young man should be so hopelessly lost to evangelical pagan 
piety. 
At last we rose and dressed; and Queequeg, taking a prodigiously 
hearty breakfast of chowders of all sorts, so that the landlady should 
not make much profit by reason of his Ramadan, we sallied out to hoard 
the Pequod , sauntering along, and picking our teeth with halibut bones. 
CHAPTER XVIII 
HIS MARK 
As we were walking down the end of the wharf towards the ship, 
Queequeg carrying his harpoon, Captain Peleg in his gruff voice 
